Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 1
Santaptaka’s Encounter with Five Pretas and Their Liberation through Viṣṇu’s Presence
वृषोत्सर्गमाहात्म्यनिरूपणं नाम षष्ठो ऽध्यायः गरुड उवाच / श्रुतं मे महादाख्यानं वृषोत्सर्गफलं हरे / पुनरन्यां कथां ब्रूहि यत्र ते महिमाद्भुतः
vṛṣotsargamāhātmyanirūpaṇaṃ nāma ṣaṣṭho 'dhyāyaḥ garuḍa uvāca / śrutaṃ me mahādākhyānaṃ vṛṣotsargaphalaṃ hare / punaranyāṃ kathāṃ brūhi yatra te mahimādbhutaḥ
Garuḍa thưa: “Lạy Hari, con đã nghe đại truyện nói về quả báo của nghi lễ thả bò đực (vṛṣotsarga). Nay xin Ngài kể thêm một thánh truyện khác, nơi vinh quang kỳ diệu của Ngài được hiển lộ.”
Garuḍa (Vinātā-putra)
Concept: Devotional listening (śravaṇa) naturally leads to further inquiry (jijñāsā) into Hari’s glory; ritual fruits are contextualized within a larger theistic narrative.
Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as a means of purification and orientation toward the Supreme; kathā as upāya for citta-śuddhi.
Application: Sustain spiritual growth by asking for deeper teachings after completing one practice; keep devotion inquiry-driven rather than merely reward-driven.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: dialogue setting (Hari–Garuda saṃvāda)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.6 (vṛṣotsarga/vṛṣa-yajña fruits); Garuda Purana 2.7 (chapter opening: vṛṣotsarga-māhātmya)
FAQs
This verse frames vṛṣotsarga as a merit-producing rite whose “fruit” is taught through a major narrative, indicating its ritual significance in dharmic observances connected with after-death duties.
Indirectly: it shows Garuḍa seeking further instruction from Hari after hearing about a specific rite’s merit, reflecting the Purana’s method of linking ritual actions to post-death outcomes and spiritual welfare.
Approach ancestral and end-of-life rites with informed intent—study the meaning and purpose of each practice (like vṛṣotsarga) and align it with dharma rather than performing rituals mechanically.