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Shloka 1

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

प्रेतकृतितदुक्तितच्चिह्नतद्विमुक्त्युपायनिरूपणं नाम त्रयोविंशो ऽध्यायः गरुड उवाच / नाकाले म्रियते कश्चिदिति वेदानुशासनम् / कस्मान्मृत्युमवाप्नोति राजा वा श्रोत्रियोपि वा

Transliteration

pretakṛtitaduktitaccihnatadvimuktyupāyanirūpaṇaṃ nāma trayoviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ garuḍa uvāca / nākāle mriyate kaściditi vedānuśāsanam / kasmānmṛtyumavāpnoti rājā vā śrotriyopi vā

Translation

గరుడుడు పలికెను— ‘నియతకాలానికి ముందెవడూ మరణించడు’ అని వేదోపదేశం. అట్లయితే రాజుకైనా శ్రోత్రియ పండితునికైనా మరణం ఎందుకు కలుగుతుంది?

Word by Word
प्रेतकृतिpreta-condition/state
प्रेतकृति:
Sambandha (Title-member/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत + कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य कृतिः)
तदुक्तिits statement/description
तदुक्ति:
Sambandha (Title-member/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + उक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य उक्तिः)
तच्चिह्नits sign(s)
तच्चिह्न:
Sambandha (Title-member/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य चिह्नम्)
तद्विमुक्तिits liberation/release
तद्विमुक्ति:
Sambandha (Title-member/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य विमुक्तिः)
उपायनिरूपणम्the exposition of the means
उपायनिरूपणम्:
Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootउपाय + निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उपायस्य निरूपणम्)
नामnamed, called
नाम:
Sambandha (Naming/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनाम (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (designation marker)
त्रयोविंशःtwenty-third
त्रयोविंशः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रयोविंश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमसंख्या (ordinal)
अध्यायःchapter
अध्यायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
गरुडःGaruḍa
गरुडः:
Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (negation particle)
अकालेat an untimely time
अकाले:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन
म्रियतेdies
म्रियते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootमृ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
कश्चित्anyone, someone
कश्चित्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)
इतिthus
इति:
Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)
वेदानुशासनम्the Vedic injunction/teaching
वेदानुशासनम्:
Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवेद + अनुशासन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य अनुशासनम्)
कस्मात्from what? why?
कस्मात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम
मृत्युम्death
मृत्युम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन
अवाप्नोतिattains, meets with
अवाप्नोति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआप् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: अव-
राजाa king
राजा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक निपात (or)
श्रोत्रियःa Veda-knower (śrotriya)
श्रोत्रियः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रोत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
अपिalso, even
अपि:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (also/even)
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक निपात (or)
Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra), addressing Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Reconciling Vedic injunction about ‘appointed time’ with observed premature death; invites analysis of karma, daiva, and upāyas (remedies).

Vedantic Theme: Tension between niyati (order) and karma-phala; śāstra as pramāṇa guiding interpretation of experience.

Application: When facing ‘untimely’ death or calamity, investigate causes through dharma (conduct, rites, omissions) rather than dismissing śāstra; seek corrective practices and ethical living.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: region

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.24 (chapter opening): inquiry into preta-kṛti, signs, and means of release (vimukti-upāya); Pretakalpa discussions on akāla-mṛtyu and its causes/remedies (contextual)

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
V
Vedas
R
Raja
S
Shrotriya

FAQs

This verse frames a key doctrinal question: how Vedic destiny (the ‘appointed time’) relates to lived reality, preparing the text to explain karmic and dharmic causes behind death and post-death states.

By questioning the cause of death itself, Garuda sets up the later discussion on the preta-condition—its signs and the means of release—implying that understanding death’s causes is tied to understanding the soul’s post-mortem journey.

It encourages humility and preparedness: status (king) or scholarship (śrotriya) does not exempt one from death, so one should live dharmically and be mindful of rites and responsibilities connected with death and afterlife beliefs.

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