Shloka 48

Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence

Devanagari script

तृतीयः शीघ्रगस्तुर्योरोधको लेखकः परः / ब्राह्मण उवाच / प्रेतानां कर्मजातानां कुतो नाम निरर्थकम्

Transliteration

tṛtīyaḥ śīghragasturyorodhako lekhakaḥ paraḥ / brāhmaṇa uvāca / pretānāṃ karmajātānāṃ kuto nāma nirarthakam

Translation

మూడవడు ‘శీఘ్రగ’; నాలుగవడు ‘రోధక’; మరొకడు పరమ ‘లేఖక’. బ్రాహ్మణుడు అన్నాడు—“ప్రేతుల కర్మజమైనదానిలో ఏ పేరు నిరర్థకంగా ఎలా ఉంటుంది?”

Word by Word

• तृतीयः: the third
• तृतीयः: विधेय (Predicate/identifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शीघ्रगः: Śīghraga (swift-goer)
• शीघ्रगः: विधेय (Name/epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (√गम् धातु से निष्पन्न, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (शीघ्रं गच्छति इति/शीघ्रगमनशीलः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तुर्यः: the fourth
• तुर्यः: विधेय (Predicate/identifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रोधकः: obstructor, blocker
• रोधकः: विधेय (Name/agent noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोधक (प्रातिपदिक; √रुध् धातु से ण्वुल्/क-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• लेखकः: writer, scribe
• लेखकः: विधेय (Name/agent noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेखक (प्रातिपदिक; √लिख् धातु से ण्वुल्/क-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• परः: another, further
• परः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्राह्मणः: the brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: कर्ता (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रेतानाम्: of the pretas
• प्रेतानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कर्मजातानाम्: born of deeds
• कर्मजातानाम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of प्रेतानाम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + जात (√जन् धातु से क्त, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कर्मणः जाताः), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कुतः: whence, why
• कुतः: हेतु/प्रश्न (Cause-question)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative: whence/why)

• नाम: indeed, then
• नाम: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/softening)

• निरर्थकम्: meaningless, purposeless
• निरर्थकम्: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्/निर्-पूर्वक तत्पुरुष (अर्थः नास्ति यस्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (narrator/interlocutor within the Purāṇic dialogue)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nothing arising from karma is nirarthaka (meaningless); karmic effects are purposeful, intelligible within dharma’s moral order.

Vedantic Theme: Kārya-kāraṇa-bhāva (cause-effect) and the intelligibility of moral causation; rejection of randomness in ethical fruition.

Application: Assume consequences have causes; investigate patterns in suffering and well-being to correct behavior; avoid fatalism and instead adopt responsibility.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa (enumerations of preta categories and their functions; karmic administration)

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Lekhaka (cosmic scribe/recorder of deeds)

FAQs

What is the importance of the lekhaka (scribe) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse points to an official recorder of deeds, implying that the preta’s post-death experience is governed by accurately accounted karma, not randomness.

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

By mentioning swift messengers, restrainers, and a scribe, it suggests an ordered post-death process in which the departed are guided, checked, and judged according to their recorded actions.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ethical accountability: actions have consequences and are not ‘wasted’—cultivating dharma, truthfulness, and restraint becomes the most practical preparation for death and beyond.