Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 32

Hari’s Special Mercy, Śiva’s Quick Boons, and the Deliverance from Vṛkāsura

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच एवं चेत्तर्हि तद्वाक्यं न वयं श्रद्दधीमहि । यो दक्षशापात् पैशाच्यं प्राप्त: प्रेतपिशाचराट् ॥ ३२ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-bhagavān uvāca evaṁ cet tarhi tad-vākyaṁ na vayaṁ śraddadhīmahi yo dakṣa-śāpāt paiśācyaṁ prāptaḥ preta-piśāca-rāṭ

Translation

至尊主说道：如果是这样的话，我们不能相信湿婆的话。由于达刹的诅咒，他变成了鬼魂和皮舍遮之王，获得了像鬼怪一样的本性。

Synonyms

• śrī-bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• śrī-bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (यदि-अर्थक निपात)

• tarhi: then
• tarhi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tarhi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conclusive particle (निगमन-निपात)

• tad-vākyam: that statement
• tad-vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); कर्म

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग) (common-gender pronoun), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• śraddadhīmahi: believe; place faith
• śraddadhīmahi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śrad-dhā (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• dakṣa-śāpāt: from Dakṣa’s curse
• dakṣa-śāpāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन); हेतु/कारण (cause)

• paiśācyam: a piśāca-state; demonic condition
• paiśācyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paiśācya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• prāptaḥ: having attained
• prāptaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ‘having attained’

• preta-piśāca-rāṭ: the king of ghosts and piśācas
• preta-piśāca-rāṭ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + piśāca (प्रातिपदिक) + rājan/rāṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः ‘king of pretas and piśācas’

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Preta
• Piśāca-rāṭ

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about trusting someone’s words when they are spiritually compromised?

In this verse, the Lord states that if a person has fallen into a ghostly condition due to a curse, their words are not reliable—highlighting discernment in accepting guidance.

Why does Lord Kṛṣṇa mention Dakṣa’s curse and a ‘preta-piśāca’ condition here?

Kṛṣṇa uses Dakṣa’s curse as a narrative reason to question the credibility of the speaker being discussed, pointing out that their degraded state undermines trust in their statements.

Practical application: how can this teaching be used in modern spiritual life?

Be thoughtful about sources of advice—seek guidance from steady, disciplined, and spiritually sound teachers rather than from those acting from confusion, instability, or harmful influences.