Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

सप्तमे मासि सम्प्राप्ते पुरं बह्वापदं व्रजेत् / तत्र भुक्त्व प्रदत्तं यच्छ्राद्धं सप्तममासिकम्

Transliteration

saptame māsi samprāpte puraṃ bahvāpadaṃ vrajet / tatra bhuktva pradattaṃ yacchrāddhaṃ saptamamāsikam

Translation

ครั้นถึงเดือนที่เจ็ด ดวงวิญญาณผู้ล่วงลับไปยังนครที่รายล้อมด้วยภยันตรายมากมาย ที่นั่นเมื่อได้รับและเสวยเครื่องบูชาที่ผู้เป็นอยู่ถวาย ก็ได้อานิสงส์ศราทธะประจำเดือนที่เจ็ด

Word by Word

• सप्तमे: in the seventh
• सप्तमे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (locative qualifier)

• मासि: month
• मासि: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• सम्प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• सम्प्राप्ते: अधिकरण (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+प्राप् (धातु) → सम्प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• बहु-आपदम्: full of many calamities
• बहु-आपदम्: कर्म (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बह्वापद् = बह्व्यः आपदः यस्मिन्/यत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पुरम्)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Gerundial modifier/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भुक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• प्रदत्तम्: given/offered
• प्रदत्तम्: कर्मविशेषण (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+दा (धातु) → प्रदत्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; श्राद्धम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Relative pronoun link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha offering
• श्राद्धम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सप्तम-मासिकम्: the seventh-month (monthly)
• सप्तम-मासिकम्: कर्मविशेषण (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक) + मासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; श्राद्धम् इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Seventh month after death (saptama-māsika)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śrāddha performed by the living becomes experiential support for the departed during the preta-journey.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha and subtle continuity: post-death experience is conditioned by saṃskāra and by dharmic acts of survivors (pitṛ-yajña).

Application: Perform the सप्तममासिक-śrāddha punctually with proper offering and intention, understanding it as direct aid to the departed’s passage.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Pretakalpa: monthly stations of the preta and corresponding māsika-śrāddhas (contextual sequence around 2.16.1–2.16.50); Garuda Purana: śrāddha-phala passages describing relief to preta through offerings

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of the seventh-month śrāddha (saptama-māsika) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents the seventh-month śrāddha as timely support to the departed during a perilous stage of the post-death journey, where the offering is said to be received and partaken of by the preta.

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

It describes the departed moving through specific stations over months, reaching a dangerous city in the seventh month, and indicates that ritual offerings from the family are experienced as sustenance and aid along the route.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If one follows śrāddha traditions, this verse supports observing the monthly rites with sincerity and proper offering (food/charity) as a disciplined way to honor ancestors and maintain continuity of dharma in the family.