Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

जातीशतेन लभते किल मानुषत्वं तत्रापि दुर्लभतरं खग भो द्विजत्वम् / यस्तत्र पालयति लालयति व्रतानि तस्यामृतं भवति हस्तगतं प्रसादात्

Transliteration

jātīśatena labhate kila mānuṣatvaṃ tatrāpi durlabhataraṃ khaga bho dvijatvam / yastatra pālayati lālayati vratāni tasyāmṛtaṃ bhavati hastagataṃ prasādāt

Translation

Nach Hunderten von Geburten erlangt man das Menschsein; und selbst unter den Menschen, o Vogel Garuḍa, ist der Stand des ‘Dvija’ (Zweimalgeborenen) noch seltener. Wer, nachdem er ihn erlangt hat, die heiligen Gelübde (Vrata) sorgfältig wahrt und liebevoll pflegt, dem wird durch Gnade (Prasāda) die Unsterblichkeit, als hielte er sie in der eigenen Hand.

Word by Word

• जातीशतेन: by a hundred births
• जातीशतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समास; तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जातीनां शतेन = by a hundred births)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (present indicative, 3rd sg)

• किल: indeed; it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/quotative particle)

• मानुषत्वम्: human state; humanity
• मानुषत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुषत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (accusative singular neuter)

• तत्र: there; in that (condition)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• दुर्लभतरम्: still rarer
• दुर्लभतरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग) + लभ (धातु) → दुर्लभ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + तरप्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative: more difficult to obtain)

• खग: O bird (Garuda)
• खग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (vocative singular)

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• द्विजत्वम्: Brahminhood; being twice-born
• द्विजत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (neuter singular; here object of 'labhate')

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (relative pronoun, nominative singular masculine)

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

• पालयति: observes; protects; keeps
• पालयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd sg)

• लालयति: cherishes; nurtures
• लालयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लल्/लालय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd sg)

• व्रतानि: vows; observances
• व्रतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन (accusative plural neuter)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)

• अमृतम्: nectar; immortality
• अमृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (nominative singular neuter)

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd sg)

• हस्तगतम्: in hand; within reach
• हस्तगतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (गम्-धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (हस्ते गतं = come into the hand)

• प्रसादात्: from grace; by favor
• प्रसादात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचन (ablative singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Human birth is rare; dvija birth rarer; cherishing vratas with care brings amṛtatva through prasāda (grace).

Vedantic Theme: Sādhana in a rare embodiment; grace (prasāda) fructifies disciplined karma into liberation-oriented result; movement from karma to moksha via purity and devotion.

Application: Treat life as a limited window: adopt one or two sustainable vratas (truth, non-harm, ekādaśī, japa), keep them lovingly (lālana), and dedicate fruits to Viṣṇu.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated motif of durlabha-mānuṣya-janma and the urgency of dharma/sādhana; Garuda Purana: vrata, dāna, and Viṣṇu-bhakti as means to auspicious gati (general theme)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the importance of human birth and dvija status in the Garuda Purana?

This verse teaches that human birth is rare, and disciplined, scripturally guided life (dvija-dharma) is rarer; it is presented as a crucial opportunity to pursue vows and liberation rather than waste life in negligence.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in Garuda Purana’s afterlife context?

By stressing the rarity of human life, it frames the afterlife narrative as a consequence of choices made here: one who follows vows gains saving merit and divine grace, which safeguards the soul’s post-death journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat life as a rare chance: adopt sustainable vows (truthfulness, self-control, charity, worship/discipline) and keep them consistently—this verse emphasizes steady observance as the key to spiritual security.