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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 47

Entry into Yama’s Abode; Nature, Causes, and Signs of the Preta-State

Devanagari script

ये केचित्पेतरूपा विकृतमुखदृशो रौद्ररूपाः कराला मन्यन्ते नैव गोत्रं सुतदुहितृपितॄन् भ्रातृजायां वधूं वा / कृत्वा काम्यं च रूपं सुखगतिरहिता भाषमाणा यथेष्टं हा कष्टं भोक्तुकामा विधिवशपतिताः संस्मरन्ति स्वपाकम्

Transliteration

ye kecitpetarūpā vikṛtamukhadṛśo raudrarūpāḥ karālā manyante naiva gotraṃ sutaduhitṛpitṝn bhrātṛjāyāṃ vadhūṃ vā / kṛtvā kāmyaṃ ca rūpaṃ sukhagatirahitā bhāṣamāṇā yatheṣṭaṃ hā kaṣṭaṃ bhoktukāmā vidhivaśapatitāḥ saṃsmaranti svapākam

Translation

काही जण प्रेतरूप धारण करून—विकृत मुख, भयानक व रौद्र, कराळ—ना आपले गोत्र मानतात, ना पुत्र-कन्या, पितर, भावजयी किंवा स्वतःची वधू. इच्छेप्रमाणे रूप धारण करून हवे तसे बोलले तरी त्यांना सुखगती नाही; विधीच्या अधीन पडून कर्मफळ भोगण्याची इच्छा धरून ‘हाय कष्ट!’ म्हणत आपल्या कर्माच्या परिपाकाचे स्मरण करतात.

Word by Word
येthose who
ये:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)
केचित्some
केचित्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)
प्रेतरूपाःpreta-formed
प्रेतरूपाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (having preta-like form)
विकृतमुखदृशःwith distorted faces/appearance
विकृतमुखदृशः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootविकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + दृश्/दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (with distorted faces/looks)
रौद्ररूपाःterrible-formed
रौद्ररूपाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootरौद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय
करालाःhideous, frightful
करालाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootकराल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन
मन्यन्तेthink/recognize
मन्यन्ते:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootमन् (धातु)
Formलट्; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
नnot
न:
Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध-निपात
एवat all/indeed
एव:
Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारण-निपात
गोत्रम्clan, lineage
गोत्रम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootगोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
सुतदुहितृपितॄन्sons, daughters, and ancestors
सुतदुहितृपितॄन्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसुत (प्रातिपदिक) + दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (sons, daughters, and fathers/ancestors)
भ्रातृजायाम्brother's wife
भ्रातृजायाम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + जाया (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (brother's wife)
वधूम्bride/daughter-in-law
वधूम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवधू (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Vikalpa (विकल्प)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्प-निपात (disjunctive particle)
कृत्वाhaving made/assumed
कृत्वा:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया
काम्यम्desired
काम्यम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाम्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कम् धातोः यत्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (desired)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात
रूपम्form
रूपम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
सुखगतिरहिताःdeprived of happy passage/destination
सुखगतिरहिताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootसुख (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (devoid of happy course/destination)
भाषमाणाःspeaking
भाषमाणाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootभाष् (धातु)
Formशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन
यथेष्टम्as they wish, at will
यथेष्टम्:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय) + इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb)
हाalas!
हा:
Bhāva (भाव/उद्गार)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विस्मय/शोक-उद्गार (interjection)
कष्टम्misery, hardship
कष्टम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन
भोक्तुकामाःdesiring to consume/undergo
भोक्तुकामाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootभुज् (धातु) + तुमुन् (infinitive) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (desirous to eat/experience)
विधिवशपतिताःfallen under fate's control
विधिवशपतिताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootविधि (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक) + पतित (प्रातिपदिक; √पत् क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (fallen under the control of fate/ordinance)
संस्मरन्तिremember, recall
संस्मरन्ति:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-स्मृ (धातु)
Formलट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
स्वपाकम्their own consequence/torment
स्वपाकम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (one's own cooking/torment; own consequence)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: In preta-state, identity and relational memory collapse; despite limited powers (shape/speech), there is no sukha—beings are driven by fate and compelled to experience karmic fruition.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala as niyati-like compulsion within saṃsāra; suffering rooted in past action and ignorance of true Self.

Application: Cultivate dharma now and ensure proper rites; reflect on consequences of actions to reduce harmful karma and support a peaceful transition after death.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: intermediate realm of disembodied beings

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: detailed preta descriptions, preta-bādha, and karmic compulsion motifs in nearby chapters; Garuda Purana: naraka descriptions where beings remember their deeds (thematic overlap)

Characters & Entities
P
Pretas
P
Pitris

FAQs

This verse highlights the preta condition as a painful, disoriented post-death state where one loses normal identity and relationships, yet must undergo the ripening of one’s own karma.

It depicts a transitional existence where the being can appear in various forms and speak, but lacks true well-being and is driven by destiny to experience karmic results—showing that post-death experience is governed by karma rather than personal control.

Live ethically to reduce harmful karmic consequences, and perform prescribed śrāddha/pinda-dāna with sincerity for ancestors—supporting remembrance, stability, and auspicious passage in the post-death journey as taught in the Garuda Purana.

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