Shloka 4

Preta-mārga Supports (Dāna), Chitragupta’s Accounting, and the Enumeration of Narakas

Devanagari script

एवं ते कथितस्तार्क्ष्य प्रेतमार्गस्य निर्णयः / विश्रान्ति दानि सर्वाणि स्थानानि कथितानि ते

Transliteration

evaṃ te kathitastārkṣya pretamārgasya nirṇayaḥ / viśrānti dāni sarvāṇi sthānāni kathitāni te

Translation

ดูก่อน ตารกษยะ (ครุฑ)! ดังนี้เราได้อธิบายแก่ท่านถึงข้อกำหนดแห่งทางของเปรต; และสถานที่พักอันให้ความผ่อนคลายทั้งปวงตามทางนั้นก็ได้กล่าวแก่ท่านแล้ว.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb: manner)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (to you/your)

• kathitaḥ: has been told
• kathitaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (निर्णयः) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• tārkṣya: O Tārkṣya (Garuda)
• tārkṣya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tārkṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन; गरुड-नाम

• preta-mārgasya: of the path of the departed (spirit)
• preta-mārgasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• nirṇayaḥ: the determination/account
• nirṇayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirṇaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन

• viśrānti: rest
• viśrānti: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśrānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन

• dāni: gifts/charities
• dāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विषय), बहुवचन

• sarvāṇi: all
• sarvāṇi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• sthānāni: places/stations
• sthānāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kathitāni: have been described
• kathitāni: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (स्थानानि) इत्यस्य विधेय/विशेषणम्

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The afterlife journey has determinate stages; knowledge of the route supports proper rites and ethical seriousness.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra as structured experience governed by law; śāstra as pramāṇa for unseen (adṛṣṭa) matters.

Application: Use scriptural guidance to perform appropriate post-death rites and to live with awareness of consequences.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: route/waystations

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: earlier/later catalogues of preta-mārga stages and viśrānti-sthānas

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Tarkshya)
• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of the preta-marga (path of the departed) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames the preta-marga as a defined, teachable route with specific stages, emphasizing that the after-death journey is governed by dharmic order and can be understood through scripture.

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

It summarizes that Vishnu has already given Garuda a decisive account of the departed being’s route and has also detailed the ‘rest-giving’ stations—suggesting a structured journey with identifiable halts.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages mindful observance of dharma and sincere performance of śrāddha/related death rites, while also cultivating ethical living—since the tradition presents the after-death passage as orderly and consequence-linked.