Shloka 27

The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds

Devanagari script

नानाझषसमाकीर्णां नानापक्षिगणैर्वृताम् / वयं त्वां तारयिष्यामः सुखेनेति वदन्ति ते

Transliteration

nānājhaṣasamākīrṇāṃ nānāpakṣigaṇairvṛtām / vayaṃ tvāṃ tārayiṣyāmaḥ sukheneti vadanti te

Translation

(Dieser Fluss) ist voll von vielen Arten von Fischen und umgeben von Schwärmen verschiedener Vögel. ‚Wir werden dich mit Leichtigkeit hinüberbringen‘, so sagen sie zu dir.

Word by Word

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), विशेषणार्थे (adverbial/qualifying) — ‘various’

• झष: fish
• झष: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: झष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), बहुवचनार्थे (used generically in compound)

• समाकीर्णाम्: filled, crowded
• समाकीर्णाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + √कॄ (धातु) → समाकीर्ण (कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), एकवचन (singular), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) — ‘filled/strewn’

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), विशेषणार्थे

• पक्षि: bird
• पक्षि: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), बहुवचनार्थे (generic in compound)

• गणैः: by groups
• गणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (plural)

• वृताम्: surrounded
• वृताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), एकवचन (singular), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — ‘surrounded’

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; बहुवचन, प्रथमा विभक्ति

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन, द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative)

• तारयिष्यामः: we will ferry/cause (you) to cross
• तारयिष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तॄ (धातु) (causative: तारय-)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (plural); णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• सुखेन: easily, with ease
• सुखेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental), एकवचन (singular); क्रियाविशेषणभावे (adverbial use)

• इति: thus
• इति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• वदन्ति: they say
• वदन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Narrator within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue (Lord Vishnu describing the after-death path to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even in terrifying afterlife conditions, relief is possible through prior merit and rightful supports; promises of ease imply a moral economy.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as the hidden determinant of experience; dependence of the embodied jīva on unseen causal forces.

Application: Do not rely on last-moment assurances; build steady merit and dharmic supports in life so ‘ease’ is earned, not begged.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: river crossing

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Vaitaraṇī narrative sequence—description, attendants’ speech, and the cow-gift mechanism in adjacent verses

Characters & Entities

• Fish (jhaṣa)
• Birds (pakṣi-gaṇa)

FAQs

What is the importance of this river-crossing motif in the Garuda Purana?

It highlights that the post-death route is dangerous and filled with frightening beings; offers of “easy passage” can be deceptive, underscoring the need for dharma and proper rites to aid the departed.

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

It depicts a threatening crossing—teeming with fish and ringed by birds—where the soul is addressed by beings claiming they will help it cross easily, suggesting peril, uncertainty, and the testing nature of the journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically and support death-related rites (e.g., śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna where appropriate) with sincerity—seeing them as supports for clarity and steadiness amid life’s and death’s transitions.