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Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

ततो याति पुरं प्रेतः क्रूरं मासे तु पञ्चमे / इह दत्तं सुतैर्भुङ्क्ते प्रेतो वै तत्पुरे स्थितः / षष्ठे मासि ततः प्रेतो याति क्रौञ्चाबिधं पुरम्

Transliteration

tato yāti puraṃ pretaḥ krūraṃ māse tu pañcame / iha dattaṃ sutairbhuṅkte preto vai tatpure sthitaḥ / ṣaṣṭhe māsi tataḥ preto yāti krauñcābidhaṃ puram

Translation

ต่อจากนั้นในเดือนที่ห้า เปรตไปสู่นครอันโหดร้าย เมื่อพำนักอยู่ในนครนั้น เปรตย่อมเสวยพินฑะทานที่บุตรทั้งหลายถวายไว้ ณ โลกนี้โดยแท้ แล้วในเดือนที่หก เปรตจึงไปสู่นครชื่อ ‘เคราญจ’

Word by Word
ततःthen
ततः:
सम्बन्ध (Sequence)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
Formकाल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (temporal/sequential adverb)
यातिgoes
याति:
क्रिया (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद
पुरम्to a city
पुरम्:
कर्म (Destination as object)
TypeNoun
Rootपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
प्रेतःthe preta (departed spirit)
प्रेतः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
क्रूरम्cruel/terrible
क्रूरम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier of कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootक्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (पुरम्)
मासेin the month
मासे:
अधिकरण (Time locus)
TypeNoun
Rootमास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)
पञ्चमेfifth
पञ्चमे:
अधिकरण (Time qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootपञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (मासे)
इहhere (in this world)
इह:
अधिकरण (Location)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)
दत्तम्what is given
दत्तम्:
कर्म (Object)
TypeAdjective
Rootदा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'given' (object of भुङ्क्ते)
सुतैःby sons
सुतैः:
करण/कर्तृ-हेतु (Agent/instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootसुत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)
भुङ्क्तेenjoys/partakes
भुङ्क्ते:
क्रिया (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootभुज् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद
प्रेतःthe preta
प्रेतः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
वैindeed
वै:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; emphasis)
तत्पुरेin that city
तत्पुरे:
अधिकरण (Location)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष — 'in that city'
स्थितःstaying
स्थितः:
कर्तृ-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'standing/remaining'
षष्ठेin the sixth
षष्ठे:
अधिकरण (Time qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootषष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण
मासिmonth
मासि:
अधिकरण (Time locus)
TypeNoun
Rootमास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)
ततःthen
ततः:
सम्बन्ध (Sequence)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
Formकाल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (sequential adverb)
प्रेतःthe preta
प्रेतः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
यातिgoes
याति:
क्रिया (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद
क्रौञ्चाबिधम्called Krauñca
क्रौञ्चाबिधम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier of कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootक्रौञ्च + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष — 'named (as) Krauñca' (qualifying पुरम्)
पुरम्city
पुरम्:
कर्म (Destination)
TypeNoun
Rootपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Fifth and sixth months (implied monthly offerings continuing)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Offerings made by sons reach and sustain the preta in the otherworld; the journey proceeds in ordered stages.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual causality across realms; social-dharmic bonds (putra–pitṛ) persist as functional links in saṃsāra.

Application: Descendants should perform monthly śrāddha/offerings without interruption; families should plan rites collectively to ensure continuity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: otherworldly cities (pura) on the preta-path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: putra-kṛta śrāddha as primary support for the preta (multiple passages); Garuda Purana: discussions of putra-dharma and pitṛ-ṛṇa (general)

Characters & Entities
P
Preta
S
Sutāḥ (sons)
K
Krūra-pura
K
Krauñca-pura

FAQs

This verse states that the preta, while residing in the after-death city during the fifth month, partakes of what the sons offer here—affirming the intended efficacy of śrāddha and related rites for the departed.

It presents a staged, month-based progression of the preta through specific puras (cities) in the post-mortem journey—moving from Krūra-pura in the fifth month to Krauñca-pura in the sixth.

Perform śrāddha/pinda-dāna with sincerity and regularity, and support family duties toward ancestors, as the text links such offerings to the preta’s sustenance during the transitional after-death period.

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