Shloka 4
The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds
पुरे स तत्र विश्रामं प्राप्यते यमकिङ्करैः / जायापुत्रादिकं सौख्यं स्मरेत्तत्र सुदुः खितः
pure sa tatra viśrāmaṃ prāpyate yamakiṅkaraiḥ / jāyāputrādikaṃ saukhyaṃ smarettatra suduḥ khitaḥ
Setibanya di kota itu, ia diberi rehat oleh para pengiring Yama; namun dalam dukacita yang mendalam, ia mengingati kebahagiaan bersama isteri, anak-anak, dan sebagainya.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Attachment to wife/sons and past pleasures becomes a source of suffering when the jīva is separated; vairāgya is implied.
Vedantic Theme: Anitya (impermanence) of worldly sukha; bandha through rāga; the need for dispassion and higher refuge.
Application: Practice detachment while honoring duties; cultivate remembrance of the imperishable (Vishnu/Ātman) rather than clinging to transient comforts.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city/resting place
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated motif of the preta remembering home and kin, intensifying suffering during transit/rest stations
FAQs
It highlights the preta’s lingering attachment (moha) and the mental suffering caused by recalling past worldly comforts even when the body is gone.
It depicts the departed being escorted by Yama’s attendants to a city (a stage in Yama’s domain), where even brief respite is accompanied by grief and remembrance of earthly ties.
Cultivate detachment and dharmic living now—reduce clinging to possessions and relationships—so the mind is steadier at death and supportive rites can be performed with clarity.