Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 6

Preta-bhāva: Causes, Remedies, and the Rationale of Post-death Rites

Question-Catalogue

Devanagari script

पिशाचाः सम्भवन्तीह कस्येदं कर्मणः फलम् / तन्मे कथय देवेश अहमिच्छामि वेदितुम्

Transliteration

piśācāḥ sambhavantīha kasyedaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam / tanme kathaya deveśa ahamicchāmi veditum

Translation

Trong cõi đời này, chúng sinh vì sao trở thành piśāca? Đó là quả của những nghiệp nào? Ôi Đấng Chúa tể chư thiên, xin hãy nói cho con—con khát khao được biết.

Word by Word

• पिशाचाः: piśācas (goblins/spirits)
• पिशाचाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सम्भवन्ति: arise/come into being
• सम्भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कस्य: of whom/whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• कर्मणः: of the action/deed
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• फलम्: result/fruit
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मे: to me/for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• कथय: tell (me)
• कथय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; √कथ् causative)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव+ईश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इच्छामि: desire/wish
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वेदितुम्: to know
• वेदितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (Infinitive); अर्थः—कर्तुम्/ज्ञातुम्

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) addressing Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Piśāca-bhāva arises as a karmic result; abnormal states are not random but causally linked to prior actions.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-niyati (moral causality) operating within saṃsāra; the jīva experiences states according to saṃskāra and adṛṣṭa.

Application: Cultivate ethical conduct and mental purity; avoid actions that degrade consciousness; seek scriptural guidance to understand consequences and correct course.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa discussions on preta/pretayoni and karmic causes (general); Garuda Purana sections on prāyaścitta and dāna at end of life (contextual lead-in)

Characters & Entities

• Piśācas
• Deveśa (Lord of the Devas, i.e., Vishnu in this dialogue context)

FAQs

What is the importance of piśāca-birth in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames piśāca-birth as a specific karmic consequence (karma-phala), prompting a doctrinal explanation of how certain misdeeds can lead to a degraded, restless spirit-state.

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

It introduces the principle that post-death states are not random but arise from precise causes—one’s actions (karma) determine whether the jīva attains a higher course or falls into afflicted conditions such as piśāca existence.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat consequences as ethically structured: avoid harmful, degrading actions and cultivate dharma, because the text emphasizes that one’s future condition—seen or unseen—follows from karma.