Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

तृतीये मासि सम्प्राप्ते गन्धर्वनगरं शुभम् / तृतीयं मासिकं भुक्त्वा तत्र गच्छत्यसौ पुरः

Transliteration

tṛtīye māsi samprāpte gandharvanagaraṃ śubham / tṛtīyaṃ māsikaṃ bhuktvā tatra gacchatyasau puraḥ

Translation

మూడవ మాసము వచ్చినప్పుడు ప్రేతుడు శుభమైన గంధర్వనగరమును చేరును. తృతీయ మాసిక పిండ-శ్రాద్ధ భోగము పొందిన తరువాత అతడు ముందుకు అక్కడికే సాగును.

Word by Word

• तृतीये: in the third
• तृतीये: अधिकरण (Location/Time locus)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjectival) — 'in the third'

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: अधिकरण (Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सम्प्राप्ते: having arrived / on arrival
• सम्प्राप्ते: अधिकरण (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+प्राप् (धातु) → सम्प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle) — 'when (it) has arrived' (locative absolute)

• गन्धर्वनगरम्: the Gandharva-city
• गन्धर्वनगरम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• तृतीयम्: third
• तृतीयम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• मासिकम्: the monthly (offering/rite)
• मासिकम्: कर्म (Object of भुक्त्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भुक्त्वा: having partaken
• भुक्त्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भुक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable) — 'having eaten/partaken'

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• पुरः: forward / ahead
• पुरः: अधिकरण/दिशा (Direction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: दिशावाचक-अव्यय (directional adverb)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Third month (tṛtīya māsika)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The preta’s experience and mobility are sustained by offerings from the living; post-mortem trajectory unfolds in timed stages.

Vedantic Theme: Preta-bhāva as a karmically conditioned interim state; dependence on saṃskāra and śrāddha until the next ontological transition.

Application: Perform the third monthly śrāddha with care; maintain continuity of offerings to support the departed’s passage.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: otherworldly city (nagara/pura) on the preta-path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Pretakalpa: monthly śrāddha sequence and preta-path stations (context around 2.16.1–2.16.30); Garuda Purana: descriptions of preta’s dependence on piṇḍa/udaka in related Pretakalpa passages

Characters & Entities

• Gandharvas
• Preta (departed soul)

FAQs

What is the importance of the third monthly śrāddha (tṛtīya māsika) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that in the third month the departed receives benefit from the third monthly offering, which supports and facilitates his onward movement on the post-death path, here associated with reaching Gandharva-nagara.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It presents the journey as sequential and time-marked: at the third month the preta reaches an intermediate realm (the Gandharvas’ city) and, after partaking of the monthly rite’s fruit, continues forward.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages timely performance of monthly śrāddha/māsika rites with faith and discipline, as a way of fulfilling ancestral duty (pitṛ-kārya) and cultivating responsibility, gratitude, and dharma in family life.