Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शिरास्थिचर्मशेषाङ्गान् पृष्ठलग्नोदरान् खग / त्यक्तान्नासिकया नेत्रकूपपातभयादिव

Transliteration

śirāsthicarmaśeṣāṅgān pṛṣṭhalagnodarān khaga / tyaktānnāsikayā netrakūpapātabhayādiva

Translation

Wahai Khaga (Garuda), ada makhluk yang tubuhnya tinggal sisa—kepala, tulang dan kulit sahaja; ada yang perutnya melekat pada belakang. Seolah-olah takut terjatuh ke dalam rongga mata, mereka ditinggalkan dan diseret dengan hidung.

Word by Word

• शिरा-अस्थि-चर्म-शेष-अङ्गान्: those whose limbs were mere remnants of veins, bones, and skin
• शिरा-अस्थि-चर्म-शेष-अङ्गान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरा + अस्थि + चर्म + शेष + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (अङ्गाः येषां शिरा-अस्थि-चर्म-शेषाः), कर्म

• पृष्ठलग्नोदरान्: with bellies stuck to their backs (emaciated)
• पृष्ठलग्नोदरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ + लग्न + उदर (प्रातिपदिक; लग्न = √लग् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (‘पृष्ठे लग्नम् उदरम् येषाम्’), कर्म

• खग: O bird (Garuda)
• खग: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन

• त्यक्तान्: abandoned/left
• त्यक्तान्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्त (कृदन्त; √त्यज् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण (प्रेतान्)

• नासिकया: with the nose
• नासिकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• नेत्रकूपपातभयात्: from fear of falling into the eye-sockets
• नेत्रकूपपातभयात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र + कूप + पात + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (भय-शब्दः पुं), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (‘नेत्रकूपे पातस्य भयम्’), अपादान

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pāpa yields states of extreme deprivation and distortion; clinging to bodily identity culminates in bodily horror as karmic pedagogy.

Vedantic Theme: Anātman of the body; saṃsāra’s duḥkha as a spur to vairāgya.

Application: Practice restraint and ethical living; contemplate impermanence to reduce attachment; take refuge in dharma and bhakti to avoid lower states.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: afterlife passage/torment-field (implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: catalogues of preta-forms and punishments (general motif); Garuda Purana: Yama’s realm descriptions of bodily torments (thematic)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of describing the preta’s body in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses stark imagery of a reduced, suffering form to emphasize karmic consequence after death and the urgency of dharmic living and proper rites.

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

Within the Preta Kanda narrative, the soul’s post-death phase is portrayed as one of vulnerability and distress, where the preta experiences fear and degradation as results of prior actions.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically, avoid harmful actions, and support traditional śrāddha/antyeṣṭi duties for elders—using the teaching as motivation for dharma and compassion.