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Shloka 103

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

न नित्यदानं न गवाह्निकं कृतं पुस्तं च दत्तं न हि वेदशास्त्रयोः / पुराणदृष्टो न हि सेवितो ऽध्वा शरीर हे निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम्

Transliteration

na nityadānaṃ na gavāhnikaṃ kṛtaṃ pustaṃ ca dattaṃ na hi vedaśāstrayoḥ / purāṇadṛṣṭo na hi sevito 'dhvā śarīra he nistara yattvayā kṛtam

Translation

„Keine tägliche Gabe wurde gespendet; keine täglichen Riten—wie die Verehrung der Kuh—wurden vollzogen; kein heiliges Buch wurde verschenkt; weder Veden noch Śāstras wurden studiert. Der in den Purāṇas gewiesene Pfad wurde nicht begangen. O Leib—trage mich nun hinüber: was hast du denn wirklich getan, um uns zu retten?“

Word by Word
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)
नित्यदानम्daily charity
नित्यदानम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म/विषयवाचक (contextual object of omission)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
गवाह्निकम्daily duty/service for cows
गवाह्निकम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootगो (प्रातिपदिक) + आह्निक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (गो-आह्निकम्) गवां सम्बन्धि आह्निककर्म
कृतम्done
कृतम्:
Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (done)
पुस्तम्a book/manuscript
पुस्तम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपुस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)
दत्तम्given
दत्तम्:
Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
हिindeed/for
हि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; अवधारण/हेतुवाचक (indeed/for)
वेदशास्त्रयोःof the Veda and the śāstra(s)
वेदशास्त्रयोः:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootवेद (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive)
पुराणदृष्टःseen in the Purāṇa
पुराणदृष्टः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootपुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + दृष्ट (कृदन्त; √दृश् (धातु) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (पुराणे दृष्टः) सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; अवधारण/हेतुवाचक
सेवितःserved/practised
सेवितः:
Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√सेव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (served/practised)
अध्वाO path/way
अध्वा:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेष्य (addressed as ‘path/way’)
शरीरO body
शरीर:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootशरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन
हेO!
हे:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहे (अव्यय)
Formसम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)
निस्तरcross over / get through
निस्तर:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootनिस् + √तॄ (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
यत्that which
यत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)
त्वयाby you
त्वया:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootत्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/स्त्री (सर्वनाम), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (by you)
कृतम्done
कृतम्:
Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त
Speaker

A departing soul (jīva/preta) lamenting to its own body; narrated within Lord Vishnu’s teaching to Garuda

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Neglect of nitya-karma (daily duties), dāna, svādhyāya (study), and purāṇic dharma leads to suffering and helplessness after death.

Vedantic Theme: Karma and saṃskāra: the body is transient, but one’s cultivated tendencies and merits alone ‘carry across’; ignorance and negligence bind.

Application: Establish daily disciplines: charity, simple rites (go-sevā/atithi-satkara), study of śāstra, and living the purāṇic path; treat life as preparation for death.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: pathway

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: laments listing neglected duties and the consequences (common refrain motifs); Garuda Purana: śrāddha/dāna praise passages that invert this lament by prescribing remedies

Characters & Entities
V
Vedas
S
Shastras
P
Puranas

FAQs

This verse frames daily charity as a protective merit: without regular giving and righteous duties, the soul faces death with regret and lacks spiritual “support” for the onward journey.

It portrays the post-death consciousness reviewing life and recognizing that neglect of scriptural study, Purāṇic guidance, and daily dharma leaves no prepared path (adhvā) for crossing beyond suffering.

Maintain small but consistent dharmic habits—daily charity, service, and scriptural learning—so one’s life is aligned with values that reduce fear and regret at life’s end.

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