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Shloka 61

Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence

Devanagari script

अत आस्ये तु विवरं सूच्यग्रेण समंमम / एतस्मात्कारणाद्विप्रे नाम्ना सूचीमुखो ऽस्म्यहम्

Transliteration

ata āsye tu vivaraṃ sūcyagreṇa samaṃmama / etasmātkāraṇādvipre nāmnā sūcīmukho 'smyaham

Translation

ดังนั้นที่ปากของข้าพเจ้าจึงมีช่องเท่าปลายเข็ม ด้วยเหตุนี้เอง โอ้พราหมณ์ ข้าพเจ้าจึงเป็นที่รู้จักนามว่า ‘สูจีมุขะ’ ผู้มีปากดุจเข็ม

Word by Word
अतःtherefore
अतः:
Sambandha (Discourse connective)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअतः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (therefore/from this)
आस्येin the mouth
आस्ये:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootआस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन
तुindeed/but
तु:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphasis/contrast)
विवरम्an opening
विवरम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootविवर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (context: subject ‘there is an opening’)
सूच्यग्रेणwith/by a needle’s tip
सूच्यग्रेण:
Karana (Standard of comparison/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootसूची (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः (तत्पुरुषः: ‘सूच्याः अग्रं’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
समम्equal to
समम्:
Sambandha (Comparison)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसम (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्राय)
Formअव्यय (comparison: equal to)
ममmy
मम:
Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootअहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
एतस्मात्from this
एतस्मात्:
Apadana (Cause-source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
कारणात्because of the reason
कारणात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootकारण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
विप्रेO Brahmin
विप्रे:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootविप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (context: address)
नाम्नाby name
नाम्ना:
Karana (Means/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootनामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental: by name)
सूचीमुखःSūcīmukha (needle-mouthed one)
सूचीमुखः:
Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसूची (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः (तत्पुरुषः: ‘सूची-इव मुखम्’/‘सूच्याः मुखम्’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
अस्मिam
अस्मि:
Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
Speaker

A being named Sūcīmukha (describing himself within the narrative to a brāhmaṇa interlocutor)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmic results can define one’s very nāma-rūpa (name and form) in post-death states.

Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa as contingent and karma-shaped; the self’s misidentification with form leads to continued suffering.

Application: Reflect on consequences before action; cultivate dharma so that one’s ‘name’ (reputation and destiny) is not forged by wrongdoing.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: catalog-like naming of pretas/narakas by distinctive punishments to teach karma-phala

Characters & Entities
S
Sūcīmukha
B
Brāhmaṇa (vipra)

FAQs

This verse explains the etymology: the being is called Sūcīmukha because his mouth-opening is as narrow as a needle-tip, a detail used to characterize specific afterlife conditions described in the Preta Kanda.

By depicting named beings with distinctive, punitive features, the text reinforces the Garuda Purana’s karmic framework—souls encounter structured consequences in Yama’s domain corresponding to their actions.

Treat the afterlife imagery as a moral warning: cultivate self-restraint, truthfulness, and non-harm so that one’s karmic trajectory is purified rather than leading to painful post-death experiences.

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