Shloka 16

Arrival at Yama’s cities: Citragupta’s scrutiny, Dharmadhvaja’s gate, and the necessity of dāna

Devanagari script

यथायथा कृतं कर्म तान्तां योनिं व्रजेन्नरः / तत्तथैव च भुञ्जानो विचरेत्सर्वलोकगः

Transliteration

yathāyathā kṛtaṃ karma tāntāṃ yoniṃ vrajennaraḥ / tattathaiva ca bhuñjāno vicaretsarvalokagaḥ

Translation

بحسب ما يصنعه الإنسان من كَرما، إلى تلك اليوْني (حال الولادة) بعينها يمضي؛ وهو يذوق ثمارها بالقدر نفسه، فيتجوّل سائحًا في جميع العوالم.

Word by Word

• यथायथा: as and as (according to)
• यथायथा: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-प्रयोग (correlative adverb: ‘as…so, in whatever manner’)

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle/कर्मणि कृदन्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मविशेषण

• कर्म: action, deed
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

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

• ताम्: that (very)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (पाठे ‘तान्तां’ = ताम् + ताम्)

• योनिम्: womb, birth, species
• योनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: should go/attain
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (पाठे ‘व्रजेत्/व्रजेत्’)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तत्: then/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (correlative particle ‘then/that’)

• तथा: thus, in that way
• तथा: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक (adverb ‘thus/so’)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction ‘and’)

• भुञ्जानः: enjoying/experiencing
• भुञ्जानः: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• विचरेत्: should wander/move about
• विचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वलोकगः: going through all worlds
• सर्वलोकगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वलोकग (प्रातिपदिक) = सर्व + लोक + ग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषु लोकेषु गच्छति इति)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: As actions are, so is the birth (yoni); as the deed, so the experience of its fruit; the jīva wanders across realms accordingly.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as upādhi-binding force producing saṃsāra; proportionality of cause and effect; impetus toward vairāgya and liberation-seeking.

Application: Audit actions and intentions daily; reduce harmful habits, cultivate sattva through charity, truth, non-violence, and devotion; accept responsibility rather than blaming fate.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic traversal

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: catalogues of karmas leading to specific births/hells (general Pretakalpa parallels)

Characters & Entities

• Nara (the embodied person)

FAQs

What is the importance of karma in Garuda Purana Preta Kanda?

This verse states that one’s performed deeds directly determine the next embodiment (yoni) and the exact experience of results, making karma the governing law of post-death outcomes and rebirth.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It explains that the being, carrying the imprint of actions, experiences corresponding results and moves through various realms (lokas), eventually reaching a birth-state that matches its karma.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ethical restraint and purposeful good action, remembering that choices have precise consequences that shape future experiences and even future birth.