Shloka 44

Devanagari script

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वापृच्छत्केयूयमित्यथ / किं माया किमु वा स्वप्न उताहो चित्तविभ्रमः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvāpṛcchatkeyūyamityatha / kiṃ māyā kimu vā svapna utāho cittavibhramaḥ

Translation

వారి మాటలు విని అతడు అడిగాడు—“మీరు ఎవరు?” అని. తరువాత—“ఇది మాయనా, స్వప్నమా, లేక మనస్సు భ్రమమా?” అని సందేహించాడు.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वचनम्: speech, statement
• वचनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले (having done earlier)

• अपृच्छत्: asked
• अपृच्छत्: क्रिया (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• के: who (plural)
• के: कर्ता (Subject complement in question)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यूयम्: you (plural)
• यूयम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अथ: then
• अथ: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (conjunctive/adverb: then)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• माया: illusion
• माया: कर्ता/विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उ: indeed / or
• उ: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/alternative)

• वा: or
• वा: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• स्वप्नः: dream
• स्वप्नः: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत: or else
• उत: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Alternative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: or else/and also)

• आहो: or perhaps
• आहो: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Interrogative alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आहो (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative alternative: or rather?)

• चित्तविभ्रमः: confusion of the mind
• चित्तविभ्रमः: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + विभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चित्तस्य विभ्रमः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (describing the inquirer’s reaction within the Preta Kanda dialogue context)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Discrimination of experience: illusion (māyā), dream (svapna), and mental delusion (cittavibhrama).

Vedantic Theme: Viveka between prātibhāsika (illusory), svapna (dream), and vyāvahārika (empirical) levels; the mind as a source of error.

Application: When confronted with fear or the uncanny, pause and inquire into the source of perception; cultivate steadiness and discernment before reacting.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa 2.7 (dialogue with pretas; inquiry into their state)

Characters & Entities

• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of māyā and svapna (illusion and dream) in Garuda Purana?

This verse frames the after-death encounter as potentially deceptive to ordinary perception, highlighting how consciousness can mistake subtle experiences for illusion, dream, or mental भ्रम (confusion).

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

It shows the inquirer’s uncertainty when meeting beings in the post-death setting—suggesting that the soul (or observer) may initially struggle to recognize the reality of preta-loka experiences due to altered, subtle perception.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate clarity and steadiness of mind (through dharma, self-discipline, and remembrance of truth) so that fear and भ्रम (confusion) do not dominate when facing unfamiliar or stressful transitions.