Shloka 19
The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds
ततो याति पुरं प्रेतः क्रूरं मासे तु पञ्चमे / इह दत्तं सुतैर्भुङ्क्ते प्रेतो वै तत्पुरे स्थितः / षष्ठे मासि ततः प्रेतो याति क्रौञ्चाबिधं पुरम्
tato yāti puraṃ pretaḥ krūraṃ māse tu pañcame / iha dattaṃ sutairbhuṅkte preto vai tatpure sthitaḥ / ṣaṣṭhe māsi tataḥ preto yāti krauñcābidhaṃ puram
Kemudian, pada bulan kelima, preta pergi ke kota yang kejam. Ketika berada di kota itu, preta benar-benar menikmati apa yang dipersembahkan di sini oleh anak-anak lelakinya. Sesudah itu, pada bulan keenam, preta meneruskan perjalanan ke kota bernama Krauñca.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Fifth and sixth months (implied monthly offerings continuing)
Concept: Offerings made by sons reach and sustain the preta in the otherworld; the journey proceeds in ordered stages.
Vedantic Theme: Ritual causality across realms; social-dharmic bonds (putra–pitṛ) persist as functional links in saṃsāra.
Application: Descendants should perform monthly śrāddha/offerings without interruption; families should plan rites collectively to ensure continuity.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: otherworldly cities (pura) on the preta-path
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: putra-kṛta śrāddha as primary support for the preta (multiple passages); Garuda Purana: discussions of putra-dharma and pitṛ-ṛṇa (general)
FAQs
This verse states that the preta, while residing in the after-death city during the fifth month, partakes of what the sons offer here—affirming the intended efficacy of śrāddha and related rites for the departed.
It presents a staged, month-based progression of the preta through specific puras (cities) in the post-mortem journey—moving from Krūra-pura in the fifth month to Krauñca-pura in the sixth.
Perform śrāddha/pinda-dāna with sincerity and regularity, and support family duties toward ancestors, as the text links such offerings to the preta’s sustenance during the transitional after-death period.