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Here is the content organized into a table:

Concept	Meaning	Application to Garuḍa Purāṇa
Svabhāva (nature/disposition)	Teachings are adapted to the character and temperament of the person being taught.	Different people require different approaches. Some respond to philosophy, while others respond better to stories, rewards, and warnings.
Bhūmika (level/stage)	The educational, intellectual, and spiritual level of both teacher and student.	The same truth may be taught differently depending on a person's understanding and life experience.
Adhikāra (competency/eligibility)	A person's capacity to understand, assimilate, and practice a teaching.	Determines what type of instruction is most beneficial for a particular individual.

Types of Adhikāris

Type of Adhikāri	Characteristics	Typical Teachings
Uttama Adhikāri	Highly educated, intelligent, spiritually mature.	Vedānta, Mīmāṁsā, Yoga, metaphysics, philosophy, higher spiritual teachings.
Madhyama Adhikāri	Average intelligence and attainment; moderate capacity.	A mixture of philosophy, practical disciplines, rituals, and ethical teachings.
Kaniṣṭha Adhikāri	Simple folk, less educated, limited capacity for abstract teachings.	Stories, narratives, customs, festivals, traditions, moral tales, and cautionary accounts.

Interpretation of the Garuḍa Purāṇa (According to This View)

Aspect	Explanation
Status of the Garuḍa Purāṇa	Considered an encyclopedic text containing both useful and symbolic material.
Preta Kāṇḍa	Viewed as mythological rather than literal. Its descriptions of post-death punishments are interpreted as teaching devices.
Purpose of the Graphic Punishments	To encourage ethical conduct and discourage harmful actions among those who may not engage with abstract philosophical teachings.
Intended Audience	Primarily Kaniṣṭha Adhikāris and lower-level Madhyama Adhikāris.
How to Resolve Confusion	Evaluate teachings through the filters of svabhāva, bhūmika, and adhikāra to determine whether they are literal, symbolic, practical, or philosophical in intent.

Summary

Under this interpretive framework, the frightening descriptions of hells and punishments in the Garuḍa Purāṇa are not understood as literal acts of divine cruelty. Rather, they are regarded as pedagogical narratives designed to teach morality and discourage harmful behavior among those for whom abstract philosophical instruction may be less effective. Higher-level seekers are directed toward philosophical texts such as the Upaniṣads, Vedānta, Yoga, and Mīmāṁsā, where karma and liberation are discussed in more subtle and metaphysical terms.