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Shloka 19

Kapila’s Analysis of Materialistic Life, Death, and the Path to Hell

Kāla, Karma, and Yamadūtas

Devanagari script

यमदूतौ तदा प्राप्तौ भीमौ सरभसेक्षणौ । स दृष्ट्वा त्रस्तहृदय: शकृन्मूत्रं विमुञ्चति ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

yama-dūtau tadā prāptau bhīmau sarabhasekṣaṇau sa dṛṣṭvā trasta-hṛdayaḥ śakṛn-mūtraṁ vimuñcati

Translation

At death he beholds the messengers of Yama—terrifying, with eyes blazing in wrath. Seeing them, his heart is seized by fear, and he voids stool and urine.

Synonyms
यमYama
यम:
सम्बन्ध (Qualifier in compound)
TypeNoun
Rootयम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासपूर्वपद — stem in compound
दूतौtwo messengers of Yama
दूतौ:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootदूत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Nominative dual; समास: यमस्य दूतौ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
तदाthen
तदा:
सम्बन्ध (Adverbial time)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)
प्राप्तौarrived
प्राप्तौ:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Past participle agreeing with यमदूतौ
भीमौterrible
भीमौ:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootभीम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Nominative dual
सरभसfierceness/impetuosity
सरभस:
सम्बन्ध (Qualifier in compound)
TypeNoun
Rootसरभस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासपूर्वपद — stem in compound
ईक्षणौhaving fierce eyes
ईक्षणौ:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Nominative dual; समास: सरभसम् ईक्षणम् यस्य (बहुव्रीहि: ‘having fierce looks’)
सःhe
सः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Pronoun nominative singular
दृष्ट्वाhaving seen
दृष्ट्वा:
पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
Formअव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त — Absolutive (gerund) ‘having seen’
त्रस्तfrightened
त्रस्त:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रस् (धातु) → त्रस्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formसमासपूर्वपद — ‘frightened’
हृदयःwith a terrified heart
हृदयः:
कर्ता (Subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootहृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; समास: त्रस्तं हृदयम् यस्य (बहुव्रीहि: ‘one whose heart is frightened’)
शकृत्feces
शकृत्:
कर्म (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootशकृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद) — stem in dvandva
मूत्रम्urine (and feces)
मूत्रम्:
कर्म (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootमूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; समास: शकृत् + मूत्रम् (द्वन्द्व, इतरेतर)
विमुञ्चतिreleases/voids
विमुञ्चति:
क्रिया (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootवि-मुच् (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present indicative, 3rd sg, active
Purport

There are two kinds of transmigration of a living entity after passing away from the present body. One kind of transmigration is to go to the controller of sinful activities, who is known as Yamarāja, and the other is to go to the higher planets, up to Vaikuṇṭha. Here Lord Kapila describes how persons engaged in activities of sense gratification to maintain a family are treated by the messengers of Yamarāja, called Yamadūtas. At the time of death the Yamadūtas become the custodians of those persons who have strongly gratified their senses. They take charge of the dying man and take him to the planet where Yamarāja resides. The conditions there are described in the following verses.

Characters & Entities
Y
Yamadūtas
Y
Yama

FAQs

In Canto 3, Chapter 30, the Bhagavatam describes Yamadūtas as terrifying agents of Yama whose appearance overwhelms the sinful person with intense fear and loss of bodily control.

They appear to take the sinful soul for judgment and punishment, illustrating Lord Kapila’s teaching that adverse karma leads to suffering—especially at the time of death.

Live with moral restraint and devotional remembrance of the Lord, because actions shape the mind—and at life’s end, an unpurified conscience can manifest as panic and helplessness.

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