Shloka 35
Dāna for the Preta: Supreme Gifts, Yama’s Pacification, and Viṣṇu-Smaraṇa at the Time of Death
जन्तोर्वुद्धिं समास्थाय पूर्वमर्माधिवासिताम् / अहमेव तथा जीवान्प्रेरयामि च कर्मसु / स्वर्गं च नरकं मोक्षं प्रयान्ति प्राणिनो ध्रुवम्
jantorvuddhiṃ samāsthāya pūrvamarmādhivāsitām / ahameva tathā jīvānprerayāmi ca karmasu / svargaṃ ca narakaṃ mokṣaṃ prayānti prāṇino dhruvam
เรายึดเอาปัญญาของสัตว์ผู้มีชีวิต—ซึ่งถูกหล่อหลอมด้วยวาสนาจากกรรมก่อน—แล้วเราผู้เดียวผลักดันเหล่าชีวะให้กระทำกรรม ดังนั้นสัตว์ทั้งหลายย่อมไปสวรรค์ นรก หรือโมกษะโดยแน่นอน.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Actions arise under the influence of prior impressions (pūrva-karma-saṃskāra) shaping buddhi; beings are propelled into karma, resulting in inevitable gati: svarga, naraka, or mokṣa.
Vedantic Theme: Interplay of saṃskāra, kartṛtva-bhāva, and īśvara-anugraha/niyati; the causal chain from vāsanā to action to phala, with mokṣa as the transcendent resolution.
Application: Track recurring vāsanās; apply restraint and spiritual discipline to interrupt harmful patterns; orient actions toward sattva and devotion/knowledge to shift trajectory away from naraka-bound karma.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: karma-phala descriptions and the soul’s journey governed by prior deeds (broad internal parallel).
FAQs
It states that the intellect (buddhi) is already imbued with prior karmic impressions, and on that basis beings are driven into further action—leading to definite post-death outcomes such as svarga, naraka, or moksha.
It links the jīva’s afterlife destination directly to karmic momentum: actions arise from an impression-laden buddhi, and the resulting gati is inevitably one of three—heaven, hell, or liberation.
Cultivate buddhi through dharma, self-restraint, and devotion so that future actions are purified; this reduces harmful karmic tendencies and supports a higher post-death trajectory and liberation-oriented living.