Shloka 13

The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds

Devanagari script

नगेन्द्रनगरे रम्ये प्रेतो याति दिवानिशम् / गच्छन्वनानि रौद्राणि दृष्ट्वा क्रन्दति तत्र सः

Transliteration

nagendranagare ramye preto yāti divāniśam / gacchanvanāni raudrāṇi dṛṣṭvā krandati tatra saḥ

Translation

ในนครอันรื่นรมย์ชื่อ ‘นคेंद्रนคร’ เปรตเดินทางทั้งกลางวันและกลางคืน ครั้นเห็นป่าอันน่าสะพรึงระหว่างทาง ก็ร้องไห้คร่ำครวญอยู่ที่นั่น.

Word by Word

• नगेन्द्रनगरे: in the city of the lord of mountains
• नगेन्द्रनगरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगेन्द्र-नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (नगेन्द्रस्य नगरम्)

• रम्ये: pleasant, beautiful
• रम्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (नगर)

• प्रेतः: the departed spirit
• प्रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• दिवानिशम्: day and night
• दिवानिशम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा-निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: ‘by day and night’)

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/Present participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘going’

• वनानि: forests
• वनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रौद्राणि: terrible, dreadful
• रौद्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (वनानि)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• क्रन्दति: cries, wails
• क्रन्दति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The preta’s ceaseless movement and suffering arise from karmic compulsion; external beauty does not cancel inner fear born of past actions.

Vedantic Theme: Duḥkha as saṃsāra-lakṣaṇa; the mind’s projection under avidyā; the jīva’s wandering (saṃsāra-bhramaṇa).

Application: Cultivate ethical living and remembrance of the divine to reduce fear at death; practice detachment from appearances and prepare through dharma.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: city/way-station

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: sequential cities/forests on the preta-mārga (2.16 narrative chain); Garuda Purana: descriptions of भयङ्कर वन/मार्ग and preta’s crying in other journey passages

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Nagendranagara

FAQs

What is the importance of Nagendranagara in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Nagendranagara as a specific waypoint in the preta’s post-death journey, highlighting that the path includes named regions and psychologically intense experiences such as fear and lamentation.

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

It depicts the preta as moving continuously (day and night) through successive terrains; encountering terrifying forests causes distress and crying, emphasizing the arduous nature of the post-mortem route described in the Preta Kanda.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

The verse encourages mindful living and timely performance of family death rites (e.g., śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna) and ethical conduct, as the tradition frames these as supports that reduce fear and suffering during the after-death journey.