Shloka 88

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

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्पातकात्प्रेतो लेखको नामतो ऽस्म्यहम् / आसीन्नरकभोगान्ते नः प्रेतत्वमिदं द्विज

Transliteration

etasmātpātakātpreto lekhako nāmato 'smyaham / āsīnnarakabhogānte naḥ pretatvamidaṃ dvija

Translation

เพราะบาปกรรมนี้ ข้าจึงกลายเป็นเปรตที่มีชื่อว่า 'เลขกะ' (ผู้จดบันทึก) เมื่อสิ้นสุดการชดใช้กรรมในนรกแล้ว สภาวะความเป็นเปรตนี้จึงบังเกิดแก่ข้า โอ พราหมณ์

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th case, Ablative), एकवचन

• पातकात्: from the sin
• पातकात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• प्रेतः: a preta (departed spirit)
• प्रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लेखकः: a scribe
• लेखकः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेखक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नामतः: by name
• नामतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/सम्बन्धवाचक-अव्यय (as to name/by name)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरकभोगान्ते: at the end of hell-experience
• नरकभोगान्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case, Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (नरके भोगस्य अन्ते)

• नः: our / of us
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case, Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of us/our’

• प्रेतत्वम्: preta-hood
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक (state of being a preta)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Demonstrative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विज: O Brahmin
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

A preta identifying himself as ‘Lekhaka’ (the scribe), addressing a dvija (brāhmaṇa)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pāpa leads to naraka-bhoga and then preta-bhāva; identity becomes shaped by one’s deed and designation (nāma) as a karmic residue.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāric continuity: subtle impressions (vāsanā/saṃskāra) carry the jīva through post-mortem states until purification and grace.

Application: Avoid grave sins; perform expiation while alive; for the departed, undertake śrāddha and charity to relieve preta-condition.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: liminal afterlife state

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: preta-lakṣaṇa, naraka-bhoga, and relief through śrāddha/pinda-dāna (broad internal thematic link)

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of the preta-state in the Garuda Purana?

This verse shows that preta-hood can arise as a karmic aftermath: even after naraka experiences end, a being may still remain in a subtle, restless condition due to specific sins.

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

It presents a sequence: sinful action (pātaka) leads to hell-experiences (naraka-bhoga), and after those are exhausted, the being may continue as a preta—indicating layered consequences across post-death states.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ethical restraint and truthfulness in one’s duties (especially speech and record-keeping), and support proper śrāddha/rites for the departed to reduce conditions associated with preta-restlessness.