Shloka 3

Akālamṛtyu: Preta-state Categories and the Nārāyaṇa-bali / Ekoddiṣṭa Remedy

Devanagari script

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / प्रेतीभूताद्विजातीनां सम्भूते मृत्युवैकृते / तेषां मार्गगतिस्थानं विधानं कथयाम्यहम्

Transliteration

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / pretībhūtādvijātīnāṃ sambhūte mṛtyuvaikṛte / teṣāṃ mārgagatisthānaṃ vidhānaṃ kathayāmyaham

Translation

شری کرشن نے فرمایا—جب موت کے تغیر سے دو بار جنم لینے والے (دویج) پریت بھاو کو پہنچتے ہیں، تو میں ان کے لیے راستہ، حرکت اور پہنچنے کے مقامات سمیت مقررہ حکم بیان کروں گا۔

Word by Word

• śrīkṛṣṇaḥ: Sri Krishna
• śrīkṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīkṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Lit/लिट्), 3rd Person (Prathama), Singular

• pretībhūtāt: from the state of being a ghost
• pretībhūtāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pretībhūta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• dvijātīnām: of the twice-borns
• dvijātīnām: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• sambhūte: when occurred/arisen
• sambhūte: Bhavalaksana (Condition/भावलक्षण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sambhūta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; Locative Absolute

• mṛtyuvaikṛte: unnatural death/death-transformation
• mṛtyuvaikṛte: Bhavalaksana (Condition/भावलक्षण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyuvaikṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; Locative Absolute

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• mārgagatisthānam: path, goal, and place
• mārgagatisthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārgagatisthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• vidhānam: rite/procedure
• vidhānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• kathayāmi: I tell/narrate
• kathayāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat/लट्), 1st Person (Uttama), Singular

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa (as the teacher-narrator in this section)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Death produces a transformed condition (mṛtyu-vaikṛta) leading to preta-state; the soul’s movement follows an ordered path shaped by karmic law and ritual support.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and subtle-body continuity across death; saṃsāra’s regulated governance under dharma.

Application: Perform timely antyeṣṭi and śrāddha to aid the departed’s transition; cultivate dharmic living to avoid painful post-mortem trajectories.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: route/liminal stations

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of preta-yātrā, stations, and Yama’s realm (continuing in 2.40 and subsequent chapters).

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the importance of describing the preta's path (mārga-gati-sthāna) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse introduces an authoritative, rule-based account of the departed being’s post-death route and stations, which underpins why specific śrāddha and related rites are prescribed to aid the preta.

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

It frames death as a transformative condition (mṛtyu-vaikṛta) in which one becomes a preta, and announces that the text will detail the journey—its route, manner of movement, and the places reached.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat death rites and remembrance practices as structured duties: perform prescribed ancestral offerings (as guided by one’s tradition) with clarity and sincerity, recognizing they are meant to support the departed through a defined post-death transition.