Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

गन्धकं धातवो देयो हरितालं मनः शिला / रेतः स्थाने पारदञ्च पुरीषे पित्तलं तथा

Transliteration

gandhakaṃ dhātavo deyo haritālaṃ manaḥ śilā / retaḥ sthāne pāradañca purīṣe pittalaṃ tathā

Translation

بدنی دھاتوں کے مقام پر گندھک دینا چاہیے؛ ہریتَال اور منہَشِلا بھی۔ منی کے مقام پر پارہ، اور پاخانے کے مقام پر پیتل بھی مقرر کرے॥

Word by Word

• गन्धकम्: sulphur
• गन्धकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (देयः इत्यनेन)

• धातवः: metals/minerals
• धातवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• देयः: is to be given / should be offered
• देयः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + य (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण, विधेय/कर्तव्यार्थक; देय (gerundive/तव्यत्-अर्थ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(सः) देयः’ = should be given

• हरितालम्: orpiment (haritāla)
• हरितालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• मनः: mind / manaḥ (as first member)
• मनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेणापि (मनःशिला)

• शिला: realgar (manaḥ-śilā)
• शिला: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मनःशिला इति खनिजनाम

• रेतः: of semen
• रेतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (रेतसः) अर्थे; ‘रेतः-स्थाने’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पारदम्: mercury
• पारदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• पुरीषे: in feces
• पुरीषे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरीष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पित्तलम्: brass (pittala)
• पित्तलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पित्तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चय-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dravya-sāmyatā: mapping bodily substances to mineral/metal analogues; ritual uses the language of material correspondences to honor embodiment’s constituents.

Vedantic Theme: The body is a compound of elements and transformations; recognizing its materiality supports vairāgya (dispassion).

Application: Handle such substances with caution and purity; treat correspondences as symbolic/ritual unless a qualified tradition prescribes otherwise.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.40.49-50 (other substitutions); Garuda Purana sections that touch on dravya classifications and ritual materials (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of element–substance mapping in Garuda Purana?

This verse presents technical correspondences between bodily constituents and mineral/metal substances, used in the text’s description of the preta’s constitution and ritual-physiological symbolism.

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

By detailing the constituents associated with the post-death (preta) framework, it supports the Garuda Purana’s broader narrative that the departed experiences a structured, element-based subtle embodiment during the journey to Yama’s realm.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages careful, tradition-informed performance of Garuda Purana death rites and a reflective understanding that the body is a composite—supporting detachment, ethical living, and reverence in ancestral observances.