Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

किञ्चिन्न्यूने ततो वर्षे सार्धे चैकादशे ऽथ वा / याति शीतपुरं तत्र शीतं यत्रातिदुः खदम्

Transliteration

kiñcinnyūne tato varṣe sārdhe caikādaśe 'tha vā / yāti śītapuraṃ tatra śītaṃ yatrātiduḥ khadam

Translation

Dann, kurz bevor ein Jahr vollendet ist—oder auch nach elfeinhalb Jahren—geht die Seele nach Śītapura, wo die Kälte überaus schmerzlich ist und Ursache intensiven Leids.

Word by Word

• किञ्चित्: a little
• किञ्चित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रमाणवाचक (a little/slightly)

• न्यूने: less/shorter
• न्यूने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यून (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वर्षे)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sequence (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• वर्षे: in the year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• सार्धे: and a half (with half more)
• सार्धे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (एकादशे) अर्थे: 'सार्ध' = with half (and a half)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एकादशे: in the eleventh
• एकादशे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वर्षे/मासे-सम्बन्धे)

• अथ: then/else
• अथ: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/विकल्पार्थक (then/now)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शीतपुरम्: the city of cold
• शीतपुरम्: Karma (Destination/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शीतस्य पुरम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• शीतम्: cold
• शीतम्: Karma/Anubhava (Experienced object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मधर्मवर्णनार्थं (cold as experienced)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Relative location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धसूचक देशवाचक (where)

• अति-दुःखदम्: extremely pain-giving
• अति-दुःखदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + द (धातु) + म (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (दुःखं ददाति) + उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद: अति- (very)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific realms/stations manifest tailored sufferings; time and karmic maturation determine the soul’s movement into harsher conditions.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra as structured experience-field; loka-bheda according to karma; impermanence of embodied comfort.

Application: Use the teaching as a moral spur: reduce harmful actions that lead to harsh post-mortem experiences; support annual rites and charity as counterweights.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: city/settlement

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: named stations and climatic torments (Śītapura and related passages)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Śītapura

FAQs

What is the importance of Śītapura in the Garuda Purana?

Śītapura is presented as a distinct realm of punishment characterized by unbearable cold, illustrating how specific karmic outcomes manifest as particular forms of suffering after death.

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

It marks a stage in the post-death progression where the departed is led onward (as part of the afterlife itinerary) to a named torment-region, emphasizing that the journey includes sequential experiences shaped by karma.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with self-restraint and ethical discipline, remembering that harmful actions have consequences; support dharmic conduct and, where relevant, perform remembrance/rites with sincerity to cultivate auspicious outcomes.