Shloka 121

Multi-form Manifestations, Indra–Kāma Incarnations, Pravāha, and the Twofold Buddhi

Sense-Discipline and Exclusive Refuge in Viṣṇu

Devanagari script

संतिष्ठमाने यमदूता बलिष्ठा संताड्यमाने मुसलैर्भिन्दिपालैः / यदा तदा कुत्र पलायिता सा केशैर्विहीना लंबकर्णं च कृत्वा

Transliteration

saṃtiṣṭhamāne yamadūtā baliṣṭhā saṃtāḍyamāne musalairbhindipālaiḥ / yadā tadā kutra palāyitā sā keśairvihīnā laṃbakarṇaṃ ca kṛtvā

Translation

Wenn die mächtigen Boten Yamas bereitstehen und sie mit Keulen und Knüppeln geschlagen wird, wohin könnte sie jemals fliehen? Ihres Haares beraubt und mit lang herabhängenden Ohren ist sie völlig hilflos.

Word by Word

• संतिष्ठमाने: while (they) are standing
• संतिष्ठमाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle/शानच्), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘while (they) are standing/remaining’ (locative absolute sense)

• यमदूताः: Yama’s messengers
• यमदूताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘यमस्य दूताः’

• बलिष्ठाः: very strong
• बलिष्ठाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; बलवत्-तम/इष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अतिशय (superlative) विशेषण

• संताड्यमाने: while being struck
• संताड्यमाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ताड् (धातु) + यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्त (passive present participle), सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘while being beaten’ (locative absolute)

• मुसलैः: with clubs
• मुसलैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुसल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• भिन्दिपालैः: with bhindipāla spears
• भिन्दिपालैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिन्दिपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; weapon-name

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala-Adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-Adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• कुत्र: where?
• कुत्र: Desha-Adhikarana (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• पलायिता: has fled
• पलायिता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पलाय् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle/क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having fled/has fled’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• केशैः: with hair
• केशैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• विहीना: devoid (of)
• विहीना: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ही (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘deprived of’ (instrumental relation)

• लंबकर्णम्: long-eared (form)
• लंबकर्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लम्ब + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘लम्बौ कर्णौ यस्य/यत्’ here as object of ‘making’

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

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having made’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Inevitability of karmaphala; no refuge when papa ripens.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandhana and the inexorable operation of ṛta/dharma; worldly supports fail at death.

Application: Cultivate dharma and restraint now; avoid cruelty and adharma that lead to fearsome retribution; remember mortality to reduce harmful actions.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: court/road of Yama (implicit)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yamadūta punishments and the soul’s helplessness when seized; Garuda Purana: descriptions of narakas and bodily mutilations as karmic imagery

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadutas

FAQs

What is the importance of Yamadutas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse portrays Yamadutas as the inescapable agents of karmic justice—once a being is seized for punishment, there is no place to run, emphasizing the inevitability of consequences after death.

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

It depicts the punitive phase of the post-death journey for wrongdoing: the soul (here spoken of as “she”) is restrained and tortured by Yama’s attendants, indicating a stage where one undergoes results of past actions before further transit or rebirth.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with restraint and dharma—avoid harm and unethical conduct—because the text frames moral causality as unavoidable; repentance, charity, and righteous living are implied safeguards against such outcomes.