Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 15

Yama-mārga (Adhvan) and the Courts of Yama: Vaivasvatī and Chitragupta

Devanagari script

याम्यनैरृतयोर्मध्ये पुरं वैवस्वतस्य तु / सर्वं वज्रमयं दिव्यमभेद्यं तत् सुरासुरैः

Transliteration

yāmyanairṛtayormadhye puraṃ vaivasvatasya tu / sarvaṃ vajramayaṃ divyamabhedyaṃ tat surāsuraiḥ

Translation

Zwischen der südlichen Himmelsrichtung (Yāmya) und der südwestlichen (Nairṛta) liegt die Stadt des Vaivasvata, nämlich Yama. Sie ist ganz aus göttlicher Vajra‑Substanz, unzerbrechlich—weder Götter noch Asuras können sie sprengen.

Word by Word

• याम्यनैरृतयोः: of the southern and south-western (regions)
• याम्यनैरृतयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य-नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: याम्य + नैरृत)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (याम्यश्च नैरृतश्च)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (वर्ण्य-वस्तु)

• वैवस्वतस्य: of Vaivasvata (Yama)
• वैवस्वतस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘वैवस्वत’ = यम (Vivasvat’s son)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• सर्वम्: entire; all
• सर्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘पुरम्’)

• वज्रमयम्: made of diamond/adamant
• वज्रमयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-मय (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: वज्र + मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वज्रस्य मयम् = made of adamant)

• दिव्यम्: divine; splendid
• दिव्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अभेद्यम्: unbreakable; impenetrable
• अभेद्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-भेद्य (प्रातिपदिक; भिद् धातु + यत्, नञ्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (potential/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भेदयितुं न शक्यम्’

• तत्: that (city)
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘तत् (पुरम्)’

• सुरासुरैः: by gods and demons
• सुरासुरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-असुर (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: सुर + असुर)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Yama’s realm is divinely established and unassailable; moral law (dharma) is not negotiable even for gods/asuras.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-niyati: the inexorability of cosmic order; karma operates within an unbreakable governance structure.

Application: Internalize accountability: power, status, or cleverness cannot ‘break’ moral consequence; choose dharma proactively.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: city/fortress

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama’s sabhā/pura descriptions and directional cosmography; Garuda Purana: accounts of Yama’s court and messengers (Yamadūtas)

Characters & Entities

• Yama (Vaivasvata)
• Nirṛti
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s city (Vaivasvata-pura) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights Vaivasvata-pura as a fixed, divinely protected seat of Yama’s administration, emphasizing the inevitability and order of post-death judgment in the Purana’s afterlife framework.

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

By locating Yama’s city in the southern/south‑western quarters and describing it as impenetrable, the verse frames Yama’s realm as a definitive destination in the soul’s post-mortem journey where karmic accountability is enforced.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages ethical living and timely performance of death rites (e.g., śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna) by reminding practitioners that karmic law is firm and not subject to worldly power or negotiation.