Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 14

Dāna as Prāyaścitta; Deathbed Gifts; Antyeṣṭi Procedures; Nārāyaṇa-bali for Untimely Deaths

Devanagari script

पददानं च विधिवन्नासौ निरयगर्भगः / स्वातन्त्र्येणापि लवणदानमिच्छन्ति सूरयः

Transliteration

padadānaṃ ca vidhivannāsau nirayagarbhagaḥ / svātantryeṇāpi lavaṇadānamicchanti sūrayaḥ

Translation

Nếu việc bố thí giày dép được thực hiện đúng nghi thức, người ấy không rơi vào thai của địa ngục. Vì thế, ngay cả tự nguyện, các bậc hiền trí cũng khuyên nên bố thí muối.

Word by Word

• पददानम्: gift of footwear (lit. ‘gift of feet/steps’)
• पददानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पदस्य दानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• विधिवत्: according to proper procedure
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘according to rule’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• असौ: that person
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• निरयगर्भगः: one who goes to/abides in the womb of hell
• निरयगर्भगः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरय + गर्भ + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निरयस्य गर्भः; तत्र गः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; (असौ) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• स्वातन्त्र्येण: by one’s own free will
• स्वातन्त्र्येण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वातन्त्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• लवणदानम्: gift of salt
• लवणदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लवणस्य दानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• इच्छन्ति: desire, recommend
• इच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सूरयः: the wise, sages
• सूरयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Rule-following in dāna (vidhivat) yields protective karmic results; specific items (footwear, salt) avert severe afterlife consequences.

Vedantic Theme: Moral causality (karma) governing post-mortem states; śāstra-guided action reduces suffering and refines saṃskāra.

Application: Give practical necessities—footwear and salt—mindfully and respectfully; follow customary procedure and intention rather than casual disposal.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: naraka descriptions where specific sins lead to specific torments (contextual); Garuda Purana: dāna lists including pāduka-dāna and lavaṇa-dāna (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Niraya (hell)
• Sages (Sūrayaḥ)

FAQs

What is the importance of padadāna (gift of footwear) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that when footwear is donated in the proper prescribed manner, it protects the doer from falling into a hellish state (niraya), highlighting dāna as a concrete remedy for post-death suffering.

How does this verse explain the soul’s path after death?

By linking specific donations to avoidance of niraya, the verse frames the after-death journey as influenced by karma and remedial acts (dāna) that reduce suffering in the post-mortem realms described in the Preta Kanda.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice intentional charity—especially essentials like footwear and food-seasoning staples such as salt—done respectfully and ethically, as a discipline of dharma and compassion that the text associates with favorable afterlife outcomes.