Shloka 44
Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence
तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वापृच्छत्केयूयमित्यथ / किं माया किमु वा स्वप्न उताहो चित्तविभ्रमः
teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvāpṛcchatkeyūyamityatha / kiṃ māyā kimu vā svapna utāho cittavibhramaḥ
Setelah mendengar kata-kata mereka, dia pun bertanya, “Siapakah kamu?”—sambil berfikir, “Adakah ini māyā (ilusi), atau mimpi, atau kekeliruan batin?”
Narrator (describing the inquirer’s reaction within the Preta Kanda dialogue context)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Discrimination of experience: illusion (māyā), dream (svapna), and mental delusion (cittavibhrama).
Vedantic Theme: Viveka between prātibhāsika (illusory), svapna (dream), and vyāvahārika (empirical) levels; the mind as a source of error.
Application: When confronted with fear or the uncanny, pause and inquire into the source of perception; cultivate steadiness and discernment before reacting.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa 2.7 (dialogue with pretas; inquiry into their state)
FAQs
This verse frames the after-death encounter as potentially deceptive to ordinary perception, highlighting how consciousness can mistake subtle experiences for illusion, dream, or mental भ्रम (confusion).
It shows the inquirer’s uncertainty when meeting beings in the post-death setting—suggesting that the soul (or observer) may initially struggle to recognize the reality of preta-loka experiences due to altered, subtle perception.
Cultivate clarity and steadiness of mind (through dharma, self-discipline, and remembrance of truth) so that fear and भ्रम (confusion) do not dominate when facing unfamiliar or stressful transitions.