Shloka 29

Vāstu-pūjā, Vāstu-maṇḍala Deities, Site Computations, and Doorway/Tree Prescriptions

Devanagari script

यच्छेषं तद्भवेज्जीवं मरणं भतहारितम् / वास्तुक्रोडे गृहं कुर्यान्न पृष्ठे मानवः सदा

Transliteration

yaccheṣaṃ tadbhavejjīvaṃ maraṇaṃ bhatahāritam / vāstukroḍe gṛhaṃ kuryānna pṛṣṭhe mānavaḥ sadā

Translation

Whatever remains becomes the jīva, the life-principle; death occurs when it is carried off by Yama’s attendants. Therefore one should always build a house upon a proper foundation of ground, and never upon the back of a living being.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun; agreeing with शेषम्)

• शेषम्: remainder
• शेषम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be/becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• जीवम्: life/living being
• जीवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (predicate nominal)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भतहारितम्: (text-uncertain) taken away/divided with ‘bhata/bhṛta’ factor
• भतहारितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भत + हारित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पाठे ‘भत’ अस्पष्ट/दुर्लभ; सम्भाव्यः ‘भृत/भर्तृ/भट’ इत्यादि-आधारः; हारित = ‘हृत/अपहृत/विभक्त’ (taken away/divided)

• वास्तुक्रोडे: in the lap/inner area of the building-site
• वास्तुक्रोडे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास्तु + क्रोड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; वास्तुक्रोड = ‘वास्तोः क्रोडः’ (the lap/inner area of the site)

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should make/build
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पृष्ठे: on the back/rear side
• पृष्ठे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• मानवः: a man/person
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda / Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Life-force persists as jīva until its allotted remainder is exhausted; death is the karmically timed seizure by Yama’s attendants.

Vedantic Theme: Jīva’s continuity amid change; time/karma as governing law over embodiment.

Application: Contemplate mortality to cultivate restraint; avoid harmful or adharmic acts (here, metaphorically and literally: do not build on living beings/unstable supports; choose proper ground and foundation).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: mythic jurisdiction

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa themes: Yama, yamadūtas, timing of death (general internal resonance)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadutas (bhaṭas)

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s attendants (Yamadutas) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames death as the moment when the remaining life-force is taken away by Yama’s attendants, emphasizing divine order and moral accountability.

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

It suggests that the jīva is linked to a residual life principle; when that remainder is removed, death occurs and the soul enters the post-death jurisdiction associated with Yama.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with dharma and avoid actions that cause harm to living beings; the verse also cautions against improper conduct symbolized by “building on a back,” i.e., exploiting life for one’s support.