Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 104

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

नगेन्द्रनगरं गत्वा भुक्त्वा चान्नं तथाविधम् / मासि द्वितीये यद्दत्तं बान्धवैस्तु ततो व्रजेत्

Transliteration

nagendranagaraṃ gatvā bhuktvā cānnaṃ tathāvidham / māsi dvitīye yaddattaṃ bāndhavaistu tato vrajet

Translation

ناگےندر نگر جا کر اور ویسا ہی اَنّ کھا کر، دوسرے مہینے میں رشتہ داروں کے دیے ہوئے نذرانے سے پرورش پا کر پریت پھر آگے بڑھتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• नगेन्द्रनगरम्: the city of the lord of mountains
• नगेन्द्रनगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; (नगेन्द्रस्य नगरम्) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having gone’

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• भुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √भुज् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund): ‘having eaten’

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

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तथाविधम्: of such a kind
• तथाविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of that kind)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे

• द्वितीये: in the second
• द्वितीये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with मासि)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त

• बान्धवैः: by relatives
• बान्धवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्तृ/करणनिर्देश (by relatives)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमसूचक (then/from there)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Second month (māsi dvitīye)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The departed’s experience is supported by the living’s offerings; relational duty (bandhu-dharma) has real post-mortem efficacy.

Vedantic Theme: Interdependence within saṃsāra: subtle-body continuity and the efficacy of saṃskāra/śrāddha as karmic supports until final adjudication.

Application: Do the second-month offerings with care and continuity; treat śrāddha as a duty of gratitude rather than mere custom.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: month-wise stations (nagara) and dependence on monthly offerings (māsa-śrāddha); Garuda Purana: descriptions of preta ‘eating’ the subtle essence of offerings

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Bāndhavas (relatives)

FAQs

What is the importance of second-month offerings in Garuda Purana?

This verse states that what relatives offer in the second month becomes the preta’s support, enabling it to continue onward on its post-death route.

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

It presents the journey as passing through specific way-stations (here, Nagendra-nagara), where the preta partakes of provisioned food and then moves forward.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform monthly śrāddha/pinda offerings with sincerity and discipline, treating them as duties of care toward ancestors and as reminders to live responsibly.