Shloka 77
Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence
ततस्तौ जहतुः प्राणान्दुः खितौ विषपानतः / सोसौ बालो ऽपि बभ्राम पितृभ्यां रहितो द्विज
tatastau jahatuḥ prāṇānduḥ khitau viṣapānataḥ / sosau bālo 'pi babhrāma pitṛbhyāṃ rahito dvija
Kemudian kedua-duanya, dalam dukacita kerana meminum racun, melepaskan nyawa. Dan budak itu, walaupun masih kecil, merayau-rayau tanpa ibu bapa, wahai yang dua kali lahir (dvija).
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Cruelty precipitates cascading suffering—death, orphanhood, and destabilized dharma—affecting multiple lives.
Vedantic Theme: Interlinked karmic consequences; tamas and despair culminate in self-harm and further bondage.
Application: Respond to family conflict with compassion and support; prevent despair; protect children from fallout of adult wrongdoing.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana narratives: family-violence leading to preta/naraka outcomes; Garuda Purana dharma sections on protecting dependents (bāla, vṛddha)
FAQs
It uses a concrete narrative—parents dying from poison and a child left parentless—to highlight how actions and misfortune create immediate suffering in worldly life, which the Purana links to broader karmic instruction.
By stating that the two “gave up their pranas,” it marks the moment of death that precedes the Preta-kanda discussion of post-death states; it also shows how death affects dependents, reinforcing the need for dharmic living and proper rites.
Avoid self-destructive choices and uphold family responsibilities; when death occurs, support dependents and perform appropriate śrāddha/antyeṣṭi duties to maintain dharma and social stability.