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Shloka 1

Preta-lakṣaṇa and Svapna-nimitta: Dream Portents of Preta-affliction and the Prescribed Remedies

Devanagari script

प्रेतत्वोत्पत्तितन्मुक्तिपेञ्चप्रेतोपाख्यान निरूपणं नाम द्वाविंशो ऽध्यायः गरुड उवाच / किङ्किं कुर्वन्ति वै प्रेताः पिशाचत्वेव्यवस्थिताः / वदन्ति वा कदाचित्किं तद्वदस्व सुरेश्वर

Transliteration

pretatvotpattitanmuktipeñcapretopākhyāna nirūpaṇaṃ nāma dvāviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ garuḍa uvāca / kiṅkiṃ kurvanti vai pretāḥ piśācatvevyavasthitāḥ / vadanti vā kadācitkiṃ tadvadasva sureśvara

Translation

Garuḍa berkata: “Apabila makhluk menjadi preta dan terikat dalam keadaan seperti piśāca, apakah yang mereka lakukan? Adakah mereka pernah berkata-kata? Katakanlah kepadaku, wahai Tuhan para dewa.”

Word by Word
प्रेतत्वोत्पत्तितन्मुक्तिपेञ्चप्रेतोपाख्याननिरूपणम्the exposition of the narrative of the five pretas and (their) origin as pretas and their liberation
प्रेतत्वोत्पत्तितन्मुक्तिपेञ्चप्रेतोपाख्याननिरूपणम्:
Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेतत्व-उत्पत्ति-तत्-मुक्ति-पञ्च-प्रेत-उपाख्यान-निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक; बहुपद-समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; शीर्षकवाचक समासपदम् (chapter-title compound)
नामnamed, called
नाम:
Sambandha (Apposition marker/नाम-निर्देशक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनाम (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (particle indicating designation: 'called/named')
द्वाविंशःtwenty-second
द्वाविंशः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootद्वाविंश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (ordinal: 22nd)
अध्यायःchapter
अध्यायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
गरुडःGaruḍa
गरुडः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
किम्what
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)
किम्what (indeed)
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (repetition for emphasis)
कुर्वन्तिdo
कुर्वन्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद
वैindeed
वै:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (particle of emphasis/indeed)
प्रेताःpretas (departed spirits)
प्रेताः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
पिशाचत्वेin the state of being a piśāca
पिशाचत्वे:
Adhikarana (Location/State/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootपिशाचत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन
व्यवस्थिताःsituated, established
व्यवस्थिताः:
Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootव्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्था धातु with वि+अव)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying pretāḥ)
वदन्तिspeak
वदन्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय-निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (conjunction: 'or')
कदाचित्ever, at any time
कदाचित्:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकदाचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb: 'sometimes/ever')
किम्what
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक (demonstrative)
वदस्वtell (me)
वदस्व:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद
सुरेश्वरO Lord of the gods
सुरेश्वर:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootसुर-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन
Speaker

Garuḍa (Vinātā-putra), addressing Lord Viṣṇu (Sureśvara)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Post-mortem states (preta, piśāca-like fixation) arise from karma and incomplete rites; understanding them guides right living and right funerary duty.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra’s continuity beyond death; subtle-body experience shaped by vāsanā and karma until proper resolution.

Application: Live ethically and ensure proper last rites/shrāddha; cultivate remembrance of the divine to avoid fearful intermediate states.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: liminal realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: chapters on preta-utpatti (origin), preta-lakṣaṇa (marks), dreams, hunger/thirst, and remedies via śrāddha and nāma-smaraṇa.

Characters & Entities
G
Garuḍa
P
Pretas
P
Piśācas
S
Sureśvara (Lord of the Devas)

FAQs

This verse frames the inquiry that drives the chapter: understanding the preta condition—its behaviors and communication—so that one can know why post-death rites and dharmic living are emphasized to prevent or end the preta-state.

It introduces the intermediate, unsettled after-death condition (preta) and hints at gradations of distress (piśāca-like state), setting up a detailed description of what the departed experiences before attaining a stable onward journey.

It encourages attentiveness to dharma and proper śrāddha/antyeṣṭi observances, and cultivates compassion toward the departed by recognizing the tradition’s concern for relieving post-death suffering.

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