Shloka 6

Preta-bhāva: Causes, Remedies, and the Rationale of Post-death Rites

Question-Catalogue

Devanagari script

पिशाचाः सम्भवन्तीह कस्येदं कर्मणः फलम् / तन्मे कथय देवेश अहमिच्छामि वेदितुम्

Transliteration

piśācāḥ sambhavantīha kasyedaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam / tanme kathaya deveśa ahamicchāmi veditum

Translation

ఈ లోకంలో జీవులు పిశాచులుగా ఎలా అవుతారు? ఇది ఏ కర్మఫలం? దేవేశ్వరా, దయచేసి నాకు చెప్పండి; నేను తెలుసుకోవాలనుకుంటున్నాను।

Word by Word

• पिशाचाः: piśācas (goblins/spirits)
• पिशाचाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सम्भवन्ति: arise/come into being
• सम्भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कस्य: of whom/whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• कर्मणः: of the action/deed
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• फलम्: result/fruit
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मे: to me/for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• कथय: tell (me)
• कथय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; √कथ् causative)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव+ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इच्छामि: desire/wish
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वेदितुम्: to know
• वेदितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (Infinitive); अर्थः—कर्तुम्/ज्ञातुम्

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) addressing Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Piśāca-bhāva arises as a karmic result; abnormal states are not random but causally linked to prior actions.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-niyati (moral causality) operating within saṃsāra; the jīva experiences states according to saṃskāra and adṛṣṭa.

Application: Cultivate ethical conduct and mental purity; avoid actions that degrade consciousness; seek scriptural guidance to understand consequences and correct course.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa discussions on preta/pretayoni and karmic causes (general); Garuda Purana sections on prāyaścitta and dāna at end of life (contextual lead-in)

Characters & Entities

• Piśācas
• Deveśa (Lord of the Devas, i.e., Vishnu in this dialogue context)

FAQs

What is the importance of piśāca-birth in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames piśāca-birth as a specific karmic consequence (karma-phala), prompting a doctrinal explanation of how certain misdeeds can lead to a degraded, restless spirit-state.

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

It introduces the principle that post-death states are not random but arise from precise causes—one’s actions (karma) determine whether the jīva attains a higher course or falls into afflicted conditions such as piśāca existence.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat consequences as ethically structured: avoid harmful, degrading actions and cultivate dharma, because the text emphasizes that one’s future condition—seen or unseen—follows from karma.