Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 100
Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga
Path to Yama
जलाशयो नैव कृतो मया तदा मनुष्यतृप्त्यै पशुपक्षितृप्तय / गोतृप्तिहेतोर्न च गोचरः कृतः शरीर हे निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम्
jalāśayo naiva kṛto mayā tadā manuṣyatṛptyai paśupakṣitṛptaya / gotṛptihetorna ca gocaraḥ kṛtaḥ śarīra he nistara yattvayā kṛtam
“在那一世，我未曾为使众人得满足而建蓄水之池，也未曾为使禽兽得饱足而施水施食；亦未曾为养牛之故而备牧场。噢，此身啊——渡我越过吧；你究竟曾做过何等善业？”
Preta (departed soul) lamenting to its former body (as described in the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Embodiment is for loka-hita: building water sources, feeding beings, and supporting cattle; neglect yields regret and suffering after death.
Vedantic Theme: durlabha-mānuṣa-janma (rare human birth) and its purposeful use; karma as moral causality
Application: Engage in accessible public-benefit dharma: water conservation, animal care, community resources, and compassionate giving while alive.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: praise of dāna such as wells/ponds, anna-dāna, go-sevā as merit-producing acts; Pretakalpa laments where the preta recalls neglected duties
FAQs
This verse treats creating a jalāśaya (pond/tank) as a major act of merit because it directly relieves thirst and supports life for humans, animals, and birds—benefits that accompany the soul as punya after death.
It portrays the preta’s remorse and helplessness: after death, one cannot retroactively create merit, so the soul laments missed opportunities for dharmic acts (public welfare, care for living beings) that could have eased its post-death journey.
Engage in life-sustaining charity: support clean drinking-water access, feed animals/birds responsibly, and contribute to cow care or pasture protection—treating such service as dharma rather than occasional virtue.