Shloka 25

Preta-mārga Supports (Dāna), Chitragupta’s Accounting, and the Enumeration of Narakas

Devanagari script

एवं मार्गे गच्छमानस्तृषार्तः श्रमपीडितः / महिषीरथ (दुग्ध) दानाच्च सुखी भवति निश्चितम्

Transliteration

evaṃ mārge gacchamānastṛṣārtaḥ śramapīḍitaḥ / mahiṣīratha (dugdha) dānācca sukhī bhavati niścitam

Translation

Demikianlah, ketika berjalan di sepanjang jalan—dihimpit dahaga dan ditindas keletihan—seseorang menjadi bahagia dengan pasti, melalui sedekah seekor kerbau betina dan sebuah pedati (serta derma susu).

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

• गच्छमानः: going, proceeding
• गच्छमानः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (जीवस्य/सः)

• तृषार्तः: afflicted by thirst
• तृषार्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृषा + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘तृषया आर्तः’ (afflicted by thirst)

• श्रमपीडितः: tormented by fatigue
• श्रमपीडितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम + पीडित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (पीडित); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘श्रमेन पीडितः’

• महिषीरथ: buffalo-cart (or cart with buffalo)
• महिषीरथ: Sambandha/Upapada (Contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी + रथ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (पाठभेद/सन्दर्भानुसार); समासः ‘महिष्याः रथः’ (buffalo-cart)

• दुग्ध: milk
• दुग्ध: Sambandha/Upapada (Contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुग्ध (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘milk’ (milked) — कोष्ठकस्थ-पाठान्तर

• दानात्: from giving
• दानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (from/because of giving)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• सुखी: happy, comfortable
• सुखी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः)

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निश्चितम्: certainly
• निश्चितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निश्चित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन (adverbial accusative): ‘certainly/definitely’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Contextual post-death dāna performed alongside śrāddha period observances

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dāna that alleviates thirst and exhaustion (milk, conveyance, productive livestock) yields direct post-mortem comfort and happiness.

Vedantic Theme: Ethics of compassion: relieving duḥkha generates sukha across lifetimes; karmic correspondence between gift and experienced benefit.

Application: Give sustenance and mobility-supporting charity (food, water, transport aid, livelihood assets) especially in memory of the departed.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: road/path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dānas mapped to specific hardships on the yamamārga (thirst, heat, fatigue); Garuda Purana: cow/buffalo gifts and their fruits in afterlife contexts

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of dugdha-dāna (donation of milk) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that donating milk (and related gifts like a she-buffalo/vehicle) yields assured comfort and happiness for the being afflicted by thirst and exhaustion on the post-death journey.

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

It portrays the traveller on the preta-mārga as suffering thirst and fatigue, and teaches that prescribed acts of dāna performed by the living generate relief and well-being for the departed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform charity in the name of the departed—especially food/drink-related giving such as milk—along with other traditional dānas, cultivating compassion and merit while supporting śrāddha-oriented observances.