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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 1

Preta-lakṣaṇa and Svapna-nimitta: Dream Portents of Preta-affliction and the Prescribed Remedies

Devanagari script

प्रेतत्वोत्पत्तितन्मुक्तिपेञ्चप्रेतोपाख्यान निरूपणं नाम द्वाविंशो ऽध्यायः गरुड उवाच / किङ्किं कुर्वन्ति वै प्रेताः पिशाचत्वेव्यवस्थिताः / वदन्ति वा कदाचित्किं तद्वदस्व सुरेश्वर

Transliteration

pretatvotpattitanmuktipeñcapretopākhyāna nirūpaṇaṃ nāma dvāviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ garuḍa uvāca / kiṅkiṃ kurvanti vai pretāḥ piśācatvevyavasthitāḥ / vadanti vā kadācitkiṃ tadvadasva sureśvara

Translation

Garuḍa thưa: “Khi các hữu tình đã thành ngạ quỷ (preta) và bị cố định trong trạng thái như loài piśāca, họ làm những gì? Họ có khi nào nói điều gì chăng? Xin Ngài nói cho con biết, ô Đấng Chúa tể chư thiên.”

Word by Word
प्रेतत्वोत्पत्तितन्मुक्तिपेञ्चप्रेतोपाख्याननिरूपणम्the exposition of the narrative of the five pretas and (their) origin as pretas and their liberation
प्रेतत्वोत्पत्तितन्मुक्तिपेञ्चप्रेतोपाख्याननिरूपणम्:
Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेतत्व-उत्पत्ति-तत्-मुक्ति-पञ्च-प्रेत-उपाख्यान-निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक; बहुपद-समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; शीर्षकवाचक समासपदम् (chapter-title compound)
नामnamed, called
नाम:
Sambandha (Apposition marker/नाम-निर्देशक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनाम (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (particle indicating designation: 'called/named')
द्वाविंशःtwenty-second
द्वाविंशः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootद्वाविंश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (ordinal: 22nd)
अध्यायःchapter
अध्यायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
गरुडःGaruḍa
गरुडः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
किम्what
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)
किम्what (indeed)
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (repetition for emphasis)
कुर्वन्तिdo
कुर्वन्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद
वैindeed
वै:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (particle of emphasis/indeed)
प्रेताःpretas (departed spirits)
प्रेताः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
पिशाचत्वेin the state of being a piśāca
पिशाचत्वे:
Adhikarana (Location/State/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootपिशाचत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन
व्यवस्थिताःsituated, established
व्यवस्थिताः:
Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootव्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्था धातु with वि+अव)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying pretāḥ)
वदन्तिspeak
वदन्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय-निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (conjunction: 'or')
कदाचित्ever, at any time
कदाचित्:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकदाचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb: 'sometimes/ever')
किम्what
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक (demonstrative)
वदस्वtell (me)
वदस्व:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद
सुरेश्वरO Lord of the gods
सुरेश्वर:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootसुर-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन
Speaker

Garuḍa (Vinātā-putra), addressing Lord Viṣṇu (Sureśvara)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Post-mortem states (preta, piśāca-like fixation) arise from karma and incomplete rites; understanding them guides right living and right funerary duty.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra’s continuity beyond death; subtle-body experience shaped by vāsanā and karma until proper resolution.

Application: Live ethically and ensure proper last rites/shrāddha; cultivate remembrance of the divine to avoid fearful intermediate states.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: liminal realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: chapters on preta-utpatti (origin), preta-lakṣaṇa (marks), dreams, hunger/thirst, and remedies via śrāddha and nāma-smaraṇa.

Characters & Entities
G
Garuḍa
P
Pretas
P
Piśācas
S
Sureśvara (Lord of the Devas)

FAQs

This verse frames the inquiry that drives the chapter: understanding the preta condition—its behaviors and communication—so that one can know why post-death rites and dharmic living are emphasized to prevent or end the preta-state.

It introduces the intermediate, unsettled after-death condition (preta) and hints at gradations of distress (piśāca-like state), setting up a detailed description of what the departed experiences before attaining a stable onward journey.

It encourages attentiveness to dharma and proper śrāddha/antyeṣṭi observances, and cultivates compassion toward the departed by recognizing the tradition’s concern for relieving post-death suffering.

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