Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 13

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and Dāna as the Soul’s True Companion on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

यः क्षात्त्रदेहन्तु विहाय शोचते रणाङ्गणे स्वामिवधे च गोग्रहे / स्त्रीबालघाते पथि सार्थहेतवे मया स्वकोशं न हतं न पातितम्

Transliteration

yaḥ kṣāttradehantu vihāya śocate raṇāṅgaṇe svāmivadhe ca gograhe / strībālaghāte pathi sārthahetave mayā svakośaṃ na hataṃ na pātitam

Translation

जो योद्ध्याचे देह सोडून असे म्हणत शोक करतो—“रणांगणात, स्वामीवधात, गोग्रहात, स्त्री-बालघातात, किंवा मार्गी सार्थलुटीसाठी—माझा देह ना मारला गेला ना पाडला गेला”—तो हिंसक कर्मांच्या स्मृतींनी बांधला जाऊन मोहाने विलाप करतो।

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; relative pronoun

• kṣātra-deham: the warrior body
• kṣātra-deham: Karma (कर्म; with 'vihāya')
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣātra (प्रातिपदिक) + deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष—'kṣātrasya dehaḥ' (warrior body)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विशेषार्थक/विरोधार्थक-निपात)

• vihāya: having abandoned
• vihāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√hā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त रूप 'vihāya'), indeclinable verbal

• śocate: grieves
• śocate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śuc (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• raṇa-aṅgaṇe: on the battlefield
• raṇa-aṅgaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th), Singular; तत्पुरुष—'raṇasya aṅgaṇam' (battlefield)

• svāmi-vadhe: in the killing of (his) master
• svāmi-vadhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāmin (प्रातिपदिक) + vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th), Singular; 'svāmino vadhe' (in the killing of one's master)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयार्थक-निपात)

• go-grahe: in cattle-raiding
• go-grahe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + graha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th), Singular; 'gāṃ grahaḥ' (seizing cattle)

• strī-bāla-ghāte: in the killing of women and children
• strī-bāla-ghāte: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + bāla (प्रातिपदिक) + ghāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th), Singular; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद 'strī-bāla' (women and children) + तत्पुरुष with ghāta (killing)

• pathi: on the road
• pathi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pathin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular (irregular stem pathin)

• sārtha-hetave: for the sake of a caravan
• sārtha-hetave: Prayojana/Sampradāna (प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sārtha (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th), Singular; 'sārthasya hetuḥ' (for the sake of a caravan/merchant group)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता; agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• sva-kośam: my own treasury
• sva-kośam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + kośa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; कर्मधारय—'svakaḥ kośaḥ' (one's own treasury)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• hatam: killed/destroyed
• hatam: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; predicate with 'kośam' (not destroyed)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• pātitam: made to fall/ruined
• pātitam: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pat (धातु)
• Form: Causative PPP (णिच् + क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; 'pātita' = caused to fall/ruined

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instructing Garuda in Preta Kanda context)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Attachment to violent identity and recollection (smṛti) binds the departed; lament rooted in adharma reveals moha and perpetuates suffering.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃskāra-bandha: impressions of cruelty persist beyond death; moha and ahaṅkāra sustain subtle-body distress until purified by higher knowledge/devotion.

Application: Cultivate remorse and reform while alive; seek purification through confession, restitution, charity, and devotion; practice mental discipline to avoid glorifying violence and plunder.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: battlefield/roadway

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa themes: preta bound by cravings/memories; suffering due to saṃskāras; Garuda Purana discussions on adharma-yuddha and its consequences

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of violent karma in Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that violent acts—battle killing, betrayal of a lord, cattle-raiding, and harming innocents—leave powerful impressions that can bind the departed mind to grief and delusion after death.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It suggests the departed consciousness may fixate on unresolved deeds and memories; such clinging becomes a cause of post-death suffering, shaping the preta’s experience before further judgment and rebirth.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid harm to innocents, reject exploitation and robbery, and practice dharmic livelihood; purify remorse through repentance, charity, and restraint so the mind is not burdened at death.