Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 150

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

पापी पापां गतिं याति यथा ते कथितं पुरा / छत्रोपानहदातारो ये च वेश्मप्रदायकाः

Transliteration

pāpī pāpāṃ gatiṃ yāti yathā te kathitaṃ purā / chatropānahadātāro ye ca veśmapradāyakāḥ

Translation

الخاطئ يمضي إلى مسار المصير الآثم كما أخبرتك من قبل؛ أمّا من يتصدّق بالمظلّات والنعال، ومن يهب مسكنًا، فينال مصيرًا مولودًا من الثواب.

Word by Word

• pāpī: a sinner
• pāpī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'sinner'

• pāpām: evil
• pāpām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'sinful/evil' (qualifies गति)

• gatim: destination
• gatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yāti: goes
• yāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थ) = 'as/just as'

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीयपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान) एकवचन (ते = 'to you/for you')

• kathitam: told
• kathitam: Kriya (Predicative/impersonal)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, कथित), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'told/said' (impersonal: 'it was told')

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = 'formerly/earlier'

• chatra: umbrella
• chatra: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (umbrella) — समासाङ्ग

• upānah: shoes
• upānah: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upānah (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), प्रातिपदिक (shoe/sandal) — समासाङ्ग

• dātāraḥ: givers
• dātāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास: छत्र+उपानह् + दातारः = 'givers of umbrellas and shoes'

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; relative pronoun 'who'

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय) = 'and'

• veśma: house
• veśma: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veśman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (house/dwelling) — समासाङ्ग

• pradāyakāḥ: donors (providers)
• pradāyakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra+dā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (ण्वुल्/अक-प्रत्यय, प्रदायक), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: वेश्म-प्रदायकाः = 'givers of houses'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Papa leads to papa-gati; specific dana—umbrella, footwear, dwelling—generates punya and favorable gati.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga through dana; purification of mind (chitta-shuddhi) via selfless giving.

Application: Practice targeted charity: provide shelter, basic protection, and mobility support to those in need; institutionalize giving as a regular discipline.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: dana-mahatmya lists (gifts and their fruits); Garuda Purana: earlier mention ‘as told before’ indicating prior exposition of papa-gati

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of dāna (charity) in the Garuda Purana’s after-death teachings?

This verse contrasts the sinner’s painful destiny with the uplifting effect of practical gifts—umbrella, footwear, and shelter—implying that compassionate dāna shapes one’s gati (post-death destination).

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

It summarizes the karmic rule: the soul experiences a destination aligned with its deeds—sin leads to a sinful course, while life-supporting gifts are cited as causes of a better, merit-based outcome.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice dharmic giving that reduces others’ hardship—offer shelter/support for housing, and provide essentials like footwear or protection from sun/rain—while avoiding actions that create harmful karmic results.