Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तदाश्रितो महामार्गे वैनतेय स गच्छति / एक एवास्ति सर्वत्रे व्यवहारः खगाधिप

Transliteration

tadāśrito mahāmārge vainateya sa gacchati / eka evāsti sarvatre vyavahāraḥ khagādhipa

Translation

Relying on that, he proceeds upon the Great Road, O Vainateya. Truly, everywhere there is but one steadfast rule of conduct, O lord of birds.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun: that)

• आश्रितः: having resorted to; dependent on
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle): ‘having resorted to/depending on’

• महामार्गे: on/in the great path
• महामार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामार्ग (प्रातिपदिक: महा + मार्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative): in the great road/path

• वैनतेय: O Vainateya (Garuda)
• वैनतेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैनतेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (he)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकः: one; single
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अस्ति: is; exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• व्यवहारः: practice; transaction; conduct
• व्यवहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यवहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खगाधिप: O lord of birds
• खगाधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खगाधिप (प्रातिपदिक: खग + अधिप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (vocative)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A single consistent rule/order (vyavahāra/niyama) operates everywhere; progress depends on proper reliance on prescribed supports.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-niyati and dharma as universal order; the jīva moves within a lawful moral cosmos.

Application: Live with consistent ethical conduct and prepare supports for the end-of-life journey through charity and rites aligned with śāstra.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: path/road

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of the soul’s road (mārga) and reliance on śrāddha/दान supports; Garuda Purana: Yama’s governance and uniformity of karmic law

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Vainateya)

FAQs

What is the importance of the 'mahāmārga' (great path) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames the post-death journey as a defined route—“the great path”—that the departed traverses with the help of a specific support previously described in the chapter.

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

It emphasizes that the departed proceeds by relying on a particular aid, and that the after-death realm operates under a consistent, universal procedure (vyavahāra) rather than arbitrary outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live and act with ethical consistency, and perform death-related duties with steadiness—this verse highlights that order and lawful consequence govern the journey, not randomness.