Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 103

Mukti-tattva Upadeśa: Knowledge as the Direct Cause of Liberation

Devanagari script

अन्तकाले तु पुरुष आगते गतसाध्वसः / छिन्द्यादसंगशस्त्रेण स्पृहां देहे ऽनु या च तम्

Transliteration

antakāle tu puruṣa āgate gatasādhvasaḥ / chindyādasaṃgaśastreṇa spṛhāṃ dehe 'nu yā ca tam

Translation

然于临终之际，当终末已至，此人既无怖畏，当以无著（不执）之利器，斩断那仍随逐其心、趋向此身的贪恋。

Word by Word

• अन्तकाले: at the final time
• अन्तकाले: कालाधिकरण (Adhikarana/Time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः अन्ते कालः (तत्पुरुष)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: सम्बन्धसूचक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• पुरुषः: a person
• पुरुषः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आगते: when (it) has come
• आगते: सति-सप्तमी (Locative absolute condition)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘आगते (काले)’ इति सति-सप्तमी

• गतसाध्वसः: whose fear has gone; fearless
• गतसाध्वसः: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत + साध्वस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः गतं साध्वसं यस्य/गतसाध्वसः (कर्मधारय-बहुव्रीहिवत् प्रयोगः)

• छिन्द्यात्: should cut off
• छिन्द्यात्: विध्यर्थक क्रिया (Injunctive/should)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• असङ्गशस्त्रेण: with the weapon of non-attachment
• असङ्गशस्त्रेण: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असङ्ग + शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः असङ्गं शस्त्रम् (तत्पुरुष)

• स्पृहाम्: desire, longing
• स्पृहाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पृहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: अधिकरण (Adhikarana/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अनु: after, along, following
• अनु: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb/adverb)

• या: which
• या: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ताम्: that (desire)
• ताम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: At death, liberation-oriented practice is to cut residual attachment to the body using the 'weapon' of non-attachment (asaṅga).

Vedantic Theme: Vairāgya as the immediate means for freedom; de-identification from body-mind; fearlessness arising from Self-knowledge.

Application: Train detachment daily (observe cravings, reduce identification with body); rehearse letting-go through meditation, remembrance of the Self, and simplifying desires.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: deathbed/solitary seat (implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.49.102 (antima kṛtya); Garuda Purana 2.49.104 (secluded sitting with ritual seat)

Characters & Entities

• Purusha (the person/embodied soul)

FAQs

What is the importance of non-attachment at the time of death in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that the decisive practice at death is to sever bodily craving using asaṅga (non-attachment), because clinging to the body pulls the mind back into fear and bondage.

How does this verse explain the soul’s condition at the end of life?

It describes the ideal end-state as “fearless” (gatasādhvasaḥ) and teaches that remaining desire for the body is the final tie that must be cut for spiritual freedom.

What is a practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice daily detachment—reducing obsessive identification with the body and possessions—so that, at life’s end, the mind can release craving quickly and remain steady.