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Shloka 40

Explanation of the Sapiṇḍana Rite; Causes of Pretahood; Viṣṇu Worship and Preta-ghaṭa Dāna

Devanagari script

स्वामिद्रोहकरा मित्रब्राह्मद्रोहकराश्च ये / तीर्थपापकरा राजञ्जायन्ते प्रेतयोनयः / एवमाद्या महाराज जायन्ते प्रेतयोनयः

Transliteration

svāmidrohakarā mitrabrāhmadrohakarāśca ye / tīrthapāpakarā rājañjāyante pretayonayaḥ / evamādyā mahārāja jāyante pretayonayaḥ

Translation

ఓ రాజా, స్వామిద్రోహం చేసేవారు, మిత్రుడికి లేదా బ్రాహ్మణునికి ద్రోహం చేసేవారు, అలాగే తీర్థస్థలాలకు సంబంధించిన పాపాలు చేసేవారు—ప్రేతయోనిలో జన్మిస్తారు। ఓ మహారాజా, ఇలాంటి ఇతర అపరాధులూ ప్రేతయోనినే పొందుతారు।

Word by Word
स्वामिद्रोहकराःthose who commit treachery against their master
स्वामिद्रोहकराः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वामि-द्रोह-कर (प्रातिपदिक; स्वामि + द्रोह + कर)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural
मित्रब्राह्मद्रोहकराःthose who betray friends and Brahmins
मित्रब्राह्मद्रोहकराः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमित्र-ब्राह्म-द्रोह-कर (प्रातिपदिक; मित्र + ब्राह्म(ण) + द्रोह + कर)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
येthose who
ये:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural
तीर्थपापकराःthose who commit sin at sacred places
तीर्थपापकराः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतीर्थ-पाप-कर (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + पाप + कर)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural
राजन्O king
राजन्:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular
जायन्तेare born / arise
जायन्ते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; Present Indicative, 3rd person, Plural (Ātmanepada)
प्रेतयोनयःpreta-wombs / births as pretas
प्रेतयोनयः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत-योनि (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + योनि)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Plural
एवम्thus
एवम्:
Sambandha (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb)
आद्याःand others of this kind
आद्याः:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootआद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम् (implied: जनाः)
महाराजO great king
महाराज:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootमहा-राजन् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + राजन्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Vocative, Singular
जायन्तेare born
जायन्ते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; Present Indicative, 3rd person, Plural (Ātmanepada)
प्रेतयोनयःpreta-births
प्रेतयोनयः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत-योनि (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + योनि)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Plural
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra, with the verse addressing the King as part of the discourse style)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Betrayal (of master, friend, brāhmaṇa) and tīrtha-offenses generate heavy papa leading to preta-yoni (restless post-death state).

Vedantic Theme: Adharma against dharma-supporting relationships (guru/brāhmaṇa, patron/master, friend) disrupts social-ritual order and binds the jīva to suffering states.

Application: Honor trust and obligations; protect brāhmaṇas/teachers; behave with heightened restraint at sacred places; seek expiation promptly for breaches.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: sacred site

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: preta-yoni causes; Yama’s jurisprudence themes (contextual).; Garuda Purana: tīrtha-mahātmyas often stress purity and avoidance of pāpa at holy sites (thematic).

Characters & Entities
P
Pretas
B
Brahmanas
T
Tirthas

FAQs

This verse treats preta-yoni as a karmic consequence: severe betrayals (of master, friend, or brāhmaṇa) and offenses related to sacred tīrthas can result in becoming a restless preta rather than attaining a stable post-death passage.

It implies that ethical violations and sacrilege can obstruct orderly transition after death, producing an unsettled preta condition—an intermediate, troubled state shaped by one’s actions (karma).

Practice loyalty and gratitude toward benefactors, avoid harming or deceiving friends, treat brāhmaṇas and spiritual teachers with integrity, and maintain reverence and cleanliness at pilgrimage sites—seeing sacred spaces as places for restraint, not exploitation.

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