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Shloka 4

Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence

Devanagari script

वैखानसमुनिव्रातैः प्राणिपातकृतेक्षणः / स कदाचित् तीर्थयात्रामुद्दिश्य स्माटतिद्विजः

Transliteration

vaikhānasamunivrātaiḥ prāṇipātakṛtekṣaṇaḥ / sa kadācit tīrthayātrāmuddiśya smāṭatidvijaḥ

Translation

வைகானஸ முனிவர்க் கூட்டத்தால் உயிர்கொலைப் பாவத்தினால் நோக்கப்பட்ட அந்த இருபிறப்பன் ஒருநாள் தீர்த்தயாத்திரையை நோக்கி புறப்பட்டான்।

Word by Word
वैखानस-मुनि-व्रातैःby the groups of Vaikhānasa sages
वैखानस-मुनि-व्रातैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootवैखानस (प्रातिपदिक) + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रात (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—वैखानसानां मुनीनां व्रातैः (instrumental: by the group of Vaikhānasa sages)
प्राणि-पात-कृत-ईक्षणःwhose gaze was set after bowing to living beings
प्राणि-पात-कृत-ईक्षणः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्राणि (प्रातिपदिक) + पात (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त/कृदन्त) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—प्राणिपाते कृते ईक्षणं यस्य (having his gaze fixed on/after performing prostration to beings)
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
कदाचित्once, at some time
कदाचित्:
Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकदाचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)
तीर्थ-यात्राम्a pilgrimage
तीर्थ-यात्राम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तीर्थस्य यात्रा (pilgrimage to a sacred place)
उद्दिश्यintending, aiming at
उद्दिश्य:
Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootउद्+दिश् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः—‘having intended/aimed at’
स्मindeed (past-narrative particle)
स्म:
Nipata (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्म (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; भूतार्थे स्मरण/निपात (particle indicating past narration)
आटतिwanders, roams
आटति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआट् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
द्विजःthe twice-born (brahmin)
द्विजः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
Speaker

Sūta (narrator) recounting the episode within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāṇipātaka (violence/killing) generates pāpa that impels expiation; turning toward tīrtha-yātrā signals a karmic attempt at purification.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha and śuddhi (purification) as preparatory ground for higher knowledge/bhakti; ethical restraint (ahiṃsā) as foundational.

Application: Adopt ahiṃsā and, upon moral lapse, seek corrective action: confession to elders/teachers, prescribed prāyaścitta, and disciplined pilgrimage/vrata with sincere repentance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: pilgrimage-route / sacred ford

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa themes: pāpa, prāyaścitta, tīrtha-mahātmyas (general); Garuda Purana on ahiṃsā and consequences of hiṃsā (general)

Characters & Entities
V
Vaikhānasa sages
D
Dvija (Brahmin)
T
Tīrthas (sacred places)

FAQs

This verse flags prāṇipāta as a grave karmic fault that becomes publicly recognizable to the righteous (sages), prompting the need for corrective action such as expiation and dharmic reform.

The dvija undertakes tīrtha-yātrā specifically as an intended remedy—implying pilgrimage is pursued as prāyaścitta (atonement) when one is burdened by serious wrongdoing.

Practice ahiṃsā (non-harm) as the first discipline; and when harm has been done, pair sincere repentance with concrete corrective actions—ethical restraint, restitution, and disciplined spiritual practice rather than mere symbolic travel.

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