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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 1

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

प्रेतकृतितदुक्तितच्चिह्नतद्विमुक्त्युपायनिरूपणं नाम त्रयोविंशो ऽध्यायः गरुड उवाच / नाकाले म्रियते कश्चिदिति वेदानुशासनम् / कस्मान्मृत्युमवाप्नोति राजा वा श्रोत्रियोपि वा

Transliteration

pretakṛtitaduktitaccihnatadvimuktyupāyanirūpaṇaṃ nāma trayoviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ garuḍa uvāca / nākāle mriyate kaściditi vedānuśāsanam / kasmānmṛtyumavāpnoti rājā vā śrotriyopi vā

Translation

گرُڑ نے کہا— وید کا یہ حکم ہے کہ ‘مقررہ وقت سے پہلے کوئی نہیں مرتا’؛ پھر بادشاہ یا شروتریہ ویدی عالم کو بھی موت کیوں آ پہنچتی ہے؟

Word by Word
प्रेतकृतिpreta-condition/state
प्रेतकृति:
Sambandha (Title-member/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत + कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य कृतिः)
तदुक्तिits statement/description
तदुक्ति:
Sambandha (Title-member/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + उक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य उक्तिः)
तच्चिह्नits sign(s)
तच्चिह्न:
Sambandha (Title-member/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य चिह्नम्)
तद्विमुक्तिits liberation/release
तद्विमुक्ति:
Sambandha (Title-member/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य विमुक्तिः)
उपायनिरूपणम्the exposition of the means
उपायनिरूपणम्:
Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootउपाय + निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उपायस्य निरूपणम्)
नामnamed, called
नाम:
Sambandha (Naming/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनाम (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (designation marker)
त्रयोविंशःtwenty-third
त्रयोविंशः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रयोविंश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमसंख्या (ordinal)
अध्यायःchapter
अध्यायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
गरुडःGaruḍa
गरुडः:
Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (negation particle)
अकालेat an untimely time
अकाले:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन
म्रियतेdies
म्रियते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootमृ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
कश्चित्anyone, someone
कश्चित्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)
इतिthus
इति:
Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)
वेदानुशासनम्the Vedic injunction/teaching
वेदानुशासनम्:
Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवेद + अनुशासन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य अनुशासनम्)
कस्मात्from what? why?
कस्मात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम
मृत्युम्death
मृत्युम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन
अवाप्नोतिattains, meets with
अवाप्नोति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआप् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: अव-
राजाa king
राजा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक निपात (or)
श्रोत्रियःa Veda-knower (śrotriya)
श्रोत्रियः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रोत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
अपिalso, even
अपि:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (also/even)
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक निपात (or)
Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra), addressing Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Reconciling Vedic injunction about ‘appointed time’ with observed premature death; invites analysis of karma, daiva, and upāyas (remedies).

Vedantic Theme: Tension between niyati (order) and karma-phala; śāstra as pramāṇa guiding interpretation of experience.

Application: When facing ‘untimely’ death or calamity, investigate causes through dharma (conduct, rites, omissions) rather than dismissing śāstra; seek corrective practices and ethical living.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: region

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.24 (chapter opening): inquiry into preta-kṛti, signs, and means of release (vimukti-upāya); Pretakalpa discussions on akāla-mṛtyu and its causes/remedies (contextual)

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
V
Vedas
R
Raja
S
Shrotriya

FAQs

This verse frames a key doctrinal question: how Vedic destiny (the ‘appointed time’) relates to lived reality, preparing the text to explain karmic and dharmic causes behind death and post-death states.

By questioning the cause of death itself, Garuda sets up the later discussion on the preta-condition—its signs and the means of release—implying that understanding death’s causes is tied to understanding the soul’s post-mortem journey.

It encourages humility and preparedness: status (king) or scholarship (śrotriya) does not exempt one from death, so one should live dharmically and be mindful of rites and responsibilities connected with death and afterlife beliefs.

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