Shloka 121

An exposition on the fruits of charity and on entry into a body

Garbhotpatti, Piṇḍa-śarīra, and Antya-kāla-kriyā

Devanagari script

यत्र पीडास्त्विमा रौद्रास्ता वै वृश्चिकदंशजाः / विनाशः पूर्णकाले च जायते सर्वदेहिनाम्

Transliteration

yatra pīḍāstvimā raudrāstā vai vṛścikadaṃśajāḥ / vināśaḥ pūrṇakāle ca jāyate sarvadehinām

Translation

Dort entstehen diese grimmigen Qualen wahrhaftig aus den Stichen der Skorpione; und wenn die bestimmte Zeit sich vollendet, kommt die Auflösung (der Tod) über alle verkörperten Wesen.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• पीडाः: pains/torments
• पीडाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• इमाः: these
• इमाः: Karta (Subject-modifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पीडानाम्)

• रौद्राः: fierce
• रौद्राः: Karta (Subject-modifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पीडानाम्)

• ताः: those
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• वृश्चिकदंशजाः: arising from a scorpion’s sting
• वृश्चिकदंशजाः: Karta (Subject-modifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृश्चिक (प्रातिपदिक) + दंश (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वृश्चिकस्य दंशः → वृश्चिकदंशः; तस्मात् जाताः → वृश्चिकदंशजाः) — ‘born from scorpion-bite’; विशेषणम् (पीडानाम्)

• विनाशः: destruction
• विनाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• पूर्णकाले: at the appointed time
• पूर्णकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पूर्णः कालः) — ‘at the appointed/complete time’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जायते: arises/occurs
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘arises/occurs’

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वे देहिनः) — ‘of all embodied beings’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All embodied beings meet dissolution at the appointed time; intense pains (here likened to scorpion stings) accompany the ordeal, underscoring karmic accountability and impermanence.

Vedantic Theme: Kāla-niyati (time’s governance) over the body; duḥkha as a spur to dispassion and right action.

Application: Do not postpone dharma and devotion; avoid harmful deeds that ripen into torment; cultivate fear-of-wrongdoing (bhaya) as a guardrail.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: liminal passage

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa descriptions of torments and Yama’s messengers (2.32.122 and surrounding)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• All embodied beings (sarva-dehinah)

FAQs

What is the importance of describing such torments in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses vivid imagery—pain arising from scorpion-stings—to underscore karmic consequence and the urgency of dharmic living before the allotted time of death arrives.

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

Within the Preta Kanda’s narrative of post-death experience, it indicates that the departed may face intense, specific forms of suffering, while also affirming that bodily dissolution occurs inevitably at the divinely ordered time (pūrṇa-kāla) for all beings.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat life as time-bound and ethically consequential: avoid harmful actions, cultivate restraint and compassion, and support death-related rites and remembrance as part of responsible dharma.