Shloka 53
Dāna for the Preta: Supreme Gifts, Yama’s Pacification, and Viṣṇu-Smaraṇa at the Time of Death
या लक्ष्मीः सर्वभूतानां या च देवे व्यवस्थिता / धेनुरूपेण सा देवी मम पापं व्यपोहतु
yā lakṣmīḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ yā ca deve vyavasthitā / dhenurūpeṇa sā devī mama pāpaṃ vyapohatu
Semoga Dewi Lakṣmī—yang bersemayam dalam segala makhluk dan ditegakkan di kalangan para dewa—kini, dalam rupa seekor lembu, menghapuskan dosaku.
Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinatā-putra in Preta Kanda context)
Concept: Lakṣmī, pervading all beings and honored among devas, manifests as the cow to remove sin—purification through divine grace mediated by a sacred form.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-anugraha (divine grace) as purifier; immanence (sarva-bhūta-antar-vartitva) alongside transcendence.
Application: Invoke the divine in compassionate, life-sustaining forms; combine devotion with ethical living (non-harm, generosity) for inner cleansing.
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.30: cow as salvific/auspicious power; transition from dāna to protective prayer
FAQs
This verse invokes Lakṣmī in the form of a dhenu (cow), reflecting the Purāṇic view that cow-related sacred giving and remembrance support expiation of pāpa and strengthen auspicious merit connected with post-death rites.
In the Preta Kanda’s ritual-ethical framework, removal of pāpa is crucial because demerit is described as creating obstacles and suffering in the post-mortem passage; the prayer asks divine auspiciousness (Lakṣmī) to neutralize that burden.
Cultivate generosity and purity of conduct—especially dharmic charity (dāna) and sincere prayer—while treating life-sustaining beings with reverence, using the verse as a reminder to reduce harm and increase auspicious actions.