Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 60
Babhruvāhana Meets a Preta: Vṛṣotsarga, Heirless Death, and the Signs of Preta-Affliction
गजयक्ष्मादिसम्भूतिः सा पीडा प्रेतसम्भवा / अपि स्वयं धनं मुक्तं प्रयत्नादनवे पथि
gajayakṣmādisambhūtiḥ sā pīḍā pretasambhavā / api svayaṃ dhanaṃ muktaṃ prayatnādanave pathi
Sự đau khổ đó, phát sinh từ các bệnh như bệnh chân voi, được sinh ra từ trạng thái làm ngạ quỷ. Ngay cả của cải mà người ta đã tự mình buông bỏ cũng không thể lấy lại được nếu không nỗ lực hết mình trên con đường vô định đó.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Unresolved preta-condition correlates with persistent suffering—disease and economic obstruction—suggesting karmic blockage until proper pacification/rites occur.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha producing duḥkha in body and artha; necessity of saṃskāra to restore order in vyavahāra.
Application: If recurring illness and inexplicable financial obstruction persist, combine medical care with śānti measures: śrāddha/preta-śānti, charity, and disciplined livelihood.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: metaphoric/liminal path
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.9.59–63 (continuation of preta-upadrava signs)
FAQs
This verse highlights that the preta condition itself generates intense torment, likened to severe diseases, emphasizing the urgency of proper rites and righteous living to avoid prolonged preta suffering.
It portrays the post-death journey as an “anava patha”—a harsh, trackless route—where even resources one once had (wealth spent or offered) do not help easily, underscoring the difficulty of the passage without spiritual support.
Live ethically and perform prescribed duties and ancestral rites with sincerity; the teaching stresses that post-death relief is not automatic and that preparation through dharma and proper observances matters.