Shloka 8

Preta-Mokṣa Upāya: Svapna-Lakṣaṇa, Pitṛ-Doṣa, and Prescribed Rites

Kṛṣṇa-bali & Nārāyaṇa-bali

Devanagari script

तीर्थस्नाने मतिर्यावच्चित्तं धर्मपरायणम् / धर्मापायं प्रकुरुते प्रेतपीडा तदा व्रजेत्

Transliteration

tīrthasnāne matiryāvaccittaṃ dharmaparāyaṇam / dharmāpāyaṃ prakurute pretapīḍā tadā vrajet

Translation

Selama mana dengan mandi di tīrtha (tempat suci) fikiran dan hati tetap bersandar pada Dharma; tetapi apabila seseorang menyebabkan kemerosotan Dharma, maka derita keadaan preta (kesengsaraan roh gelisah selepas mati) pasti menimpanya.

Word by Word

• तीर्थस्नाने: in/at pilgrimage-bathing
• तीर्थस्नाने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास ('at bathing in a tīrtha'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• मतिः: the mind/intent
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता/विषय

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/परिमाण-सम्बन्धे (as long as/while)

• चित्तम्: the mind
• चित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (with implied 'is')

• धर्मपरायणम्: devoted to dharma
• धर्मपरायणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष ('devoted to dharma'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies चित्तम्)

• धर्मापायम्: loss of dharma
• धर्मापायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष ('decline/loss of dharma'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• प्रकुरुते: brings about/does
• प्रकुरुते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्तरि (does/causes)

• प्रेतपीडा: preta-affliction
• प्रेतपीडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष ('affliction by a preta'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: then)

• व्रजेत्: should go/ensue
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; कर्तरि (should go/occur)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sustained dharma-oriented mind, supported by tīrtha-snāna, protects; dharmāpāya (decline/violation of dharma) becomes a causal condition for preta-pīḍā.

Vedantic Theme: Sattva-śuddhi as a prerequisite for higher pursuit; adharma increases tamas/rajas, opening the door to lower influences and suffering.

Application: Use pilgrimage-bathing and daily purity practices as supports for ethical living; treat ‘spiritual/psychic disturbance’ as a cue to examine dharmic lapses and correct conduct.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tīrtha-māhātmya and śuddhi themes used as supports for śrāddha and dharma; Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: preta-pīḍā causes and pacifications linked to purity and right conduct

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Tirtha (sacred place)

FAQs

What is the importance of tirtha-snana (sacred bathing) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links sacred bathing with a dharma-oriented mind; the benefit is sustained only when one remains devoted to Dharma, not when one undermines it.

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

It indicates that when Dharma is damaged through one’s actions, the being may experience preta-pīḍā—a troubled post-death condition marked by distress rather than peaceful onward passage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Rituals like pilgrimage bathing should be paired with ethical conduct—truthfulness, restraint, and non-harm—so that religious acts are not nullified by dharmic decline.