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Shloka 51

The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds

Devanagari script

दूराच्छ्रवणविज्ञाना दूराद्दर्शनगोचराः / एवञ्चेष्टास्तु ते ह्यष्टौ स्वर्भूपातालचारिणः

Transliteration

dūrācchravaṇavijñānā dūrāddarśanagocarāḥ / evañceṣṭāstu te hyaṣṭau svarbhūpātālacāriṇaḥ

Translation

ਉਹ ਦੂਰੋਂ ਹੀ ਧੁਨੀ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਗਿਆਨ ਕਰ ਲੈਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਦੂਰੋਂ ਹੀ ਦ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀ-ਗੋਚਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ। ਇਹੀ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਅੱਠ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ਦੀਆਂ ਚੇਸ਼ਟਾਵਾਂ ਹਨ—ਸਵਰਗ, ਧਰਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਪਾਤਾਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਚਰਨ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ।

Word by Word
दूरात्from afar
दूरात्:
Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverbial indeclinable; अर्थे: दूरदेशात् (from afar)
श्रवण-विज्ञानाःknowing by hearing
श्रवण-विज्ञानाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रवण (प्रातिपदिक) + विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्रवणस्य विज्ञानम्) = ‘having knowledge of hearing’
दूरात्from afar
दूरात्:
Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverbial indeclinable; अर्थे: दूरदेशात्
दर्शन-गोचराःvisible (within sight-range)
दर्शन-गोचराः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दर्शनस्य गोचरः) = ‘within the range of sight’
एवम्thus
एवम्:
Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverb ‘thus/so’
चेष्टाःactivities/movements
चेष्टाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootचेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
तुindeed/but
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात) = particle ‘but/indeed’
तेthey
ते:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (निपात) = emphatic particle ‘indeed/for’
अष्टौeight
अष्टौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)
स्वः-भू-पाताल-चारिणःmoving in heaven, earth, and the netherworld
स्वः-भू-पाताल-चारिणः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वः (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पाताल (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्वः+भू+पाताल) ततः तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्भूपातालेषु चारिणः) = ‘moving in heaven, earth, and underworld’
Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic administration operates through empowered agents with siddhi-like capacities, enabling oversight across the three worlds.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-adhīnatva: extraordinary powers function as instruments within divine order, not as independent ultimate reality.

Application: Cultivate ethical restraint knowing actions are not hidden; align conduct with dharma even when unobserved by humans.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.16 (context: description of powerful beings/agents and their modes of movement); Garuda Purana 2.17 (transition to how deeds are known in Yama’s realm)

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
P
Pretas

FAQs

This verse highlights the non-physical, far-reaching perception and mobility attributed to beings in the post-death (preta) condition, clarifying that the journey after death involves a subtle mode of experience beyond ordinary bodily limits.

By stating that they roam through heaven, earth, and the underworld and perceive from afar, the verse frames the post-mortem state as a transitional, subtle journey where experience is not restricted to one location or a gross body.

It encourages mindful living and timely performance of death-related rites (as taught in the Preta Kanda), since the departed is portrayed as consciously experiencing a subtle journey influenced by dharma and supportive rituals.

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