Shloka 19

Kapardeśvara at Piśācamocana — Liberation of a Piśāca and the Brahmapāra Hymn

Devanagari script

कदाचिदागतं प्रेतं पश्यति स्म क्षुधान्वितम् / अस्थिचर्मपिनद्धाङ्गं निः श्वसन्तं मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

kadācidāgataṃ pretaṃ paśyati sma kṣudhānvitam / asthicarmapinaddhāṅgaṃ niḥ śvasantaṃ muhurmuhuḥ

Translation

Pada suatu ketika, dia melihat satu preta (roh kelaparan) datang ke sana, diseksa oleh lapar—anggota tubuhnya hanya terikat oleh tulang dan kulit—tercungap-cungap berulang kali.

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once, at some time
• कदाचित्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक (adverb: at some time)

• आगतम्: come, arrived
• आगतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम् (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रेतम्)

• प्रेतम्: a ghost, departed spirit
• प्रेतम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लकारः लट् (Present), पुरुषः प्रथमः (3rd), वचनम् एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्म: indeed/then (narrative marker)
• स्म: सम्बन्ध (Narrative particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; स्म-प्रयोगः (past-narrative particle with present)

• क्षुधान्वितम्: afflicted with hunger
• क्षुधान्वितम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुधा-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; क्षुधा + अन्वित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रेतम्)

• अस्थिचर्मपिनद्धाङ्गम्: whose body is covered with bones and skin
• अस्थिचर्मपिनद्धाङ्गम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्थि-चर्म-पिनद्ध-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; अस्थि + चर्म + पिनद्ध + अङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रेतम्)

• निःश्वसन्तम्: breathing heavily, panting
• निःश्वसन्तम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः-श्वस् (कृदन्त; √श्वस् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रेतम्)

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb: repeatedly)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (reduplication for emphasis)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller continuing the episode in Adhyaya 31)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• preta

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly, by contrasting the Self with the precarious condition of the embodied/departed being: the preta’s suffering highlights bondage to karma and residual desire, implying that liberation lies in realizing the Atman beyond hunger, fear, and bodily identification.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse itself is descriptive, not prescriptive; however, within the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, such depictions function as vairāgya (dispassion) prompts—supporting disciplines like self-restraint, purification, and God-oriented yoga (including Pashupata-oriented devotion and inner steadiness) to avoid post-mortem distress.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

It does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; its teaching is compatible with the Kurma Purana’s unified theism: whichever form of the Supreme is worshiped (Hari/Hara), dharma and yoga are presented as the means to transcend karmic suffering symbolized by the preta’s state.