Shloka 71
Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence
अभुञ्जं सर्वमागत्य यावज्जीवं तु तद्धनम् / मित्रं पूरे हि निः क्षिप्य यदहं शीघ्रमागतः
abhuñjaṃ sarvamāgatya yāvajjīvaṃ tu taddhanam / mitraṃ pūre hi niḥ kṣipya yadahaṃ śīghramāgataḥ
اس دولت کو پا کر میں نے زندگی بھر اس کا لطف اٹھایا؛ اور دوست کو شہر میں ہی چھوڑ کر میں خود جلد واپس آ گیا۔
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra in Preta Kanda context)
Concept: Betrayal of a friend for wealth is pāpa generating adverse consequences; enjoyment (bhoga) does not erase moral debt.
Vedantic Theme: Rāga-lobha as kleshas binding the jīva; adharma leads to duḥkha-phala.
Application: Maintain fidelity to friendship and fairness in wealth; practice aparigraha and restitution when wrong has been done.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: urban
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: pāpa-karmas leading to preta states and suffering; Garuda Purana: condemnation of droha (treachery) and lobha
FAQs
This verse highlights that enjoying wealth selfishly and discarding others (even a friend) is a moral failure that becomes karmically significant in the afterlife narrative of the Preta Kanda.
In the Preta Kanda, such confessional statements illustrate the kinds of actions reviewed and judged; the text frames unethical conduct—like betrayal for wealth—as a cause for suffering under Yama’s order.
Treat wealth as a trust, not a license for harm: avoid exploitation, honor friendships and obligations, and practice generosity—actions emphasized as protective dharma against future suffering.