Shloka 71

Babhruvāhana Meets a Preta: Vṛṣotsarga, Heirless Death, and the Signs of Preta-Affliction

Devanagari script

तस्यामागतमात्रायां प्रेतश्चादृश्यतां गतः / तस्माद्वनाद्विनिः सृत्य राजापि पुरमागमत्

Transliteration

tasyāmāgatamātrāyāṃ pretaścādṛśyatāṃ gataḥ / tasmādvanādviniḥ sṛtya rājāpi puramāgamat

Translation

นางมาถึงที่นั่นเพียงครู่เดียว เปรตก็หายลับไปจากสายตา แล้วพระราชาก็ออกจากป่านั้นกลับสู่พระนคร.

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in that (moment)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• आगतमात्रायाम्: at the very moment of arrival
• आगतमात्रायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आगतमात्रा = आगमनस्य मात्रा/क्षणः)

• प्रेतः: the preta (spirit)
• प्रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अदृश्यताम्: invisibility
• अदृश्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदृश्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक

• गतः: went/entered
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• वनात्: from the forest
• वनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• विनिःसृत्य: having come out
• विनिःसृत्य: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + नि + सृ (धातु) → विनिःसृत्य (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

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

• आगमत्: came
• आगमत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Subtle beings are not consistently perceptible; visibility depends on conditions—suggesting the difference between gross perception and subtle reality.

Vedantic Theme: Sūkṣma–sthūla bheda (subtle vs. gross); limits of pratyakṣa (sense perception).

Application: Cultivate humility about what is seen/known; rely on śāstra and proper rites rather than mere sensory confirmation in matters of death and afterlife.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: forest-to-city transition

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: descriptions of preta’s subtle body and intermittent perception by the living

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Raja (King)

FAQs

What is the importance of the 'preta' becoming invisible in Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights the preta’s subtle, non-gross mode of existence—its presence may not remain perceptible to ordinary sight, emphasizing the post-death subtle-body condition described in the Preta Kanda.

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

It indicates a transition in visibility and interaction: the departed being (preta) can vanish from human perception, suggesting movement into subtler realms while the living continue back to worldly life.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages seriousness about śrāddha and other death-rites and ethical living, recognizing that death marks a real transition of the jīva’s experience even if it is not physically visible.