Shloka 15
यमेन यमदूतैश्च शास्यन्ते निश्चितं खग / बालो वृद्धो युबा वापि घटमिच्छन्ति देहिनः
yamena yamadūtaiśca śāsyante niścitaṃ khaga / bālo vṛddho yubā vāpi ghaṭamicchanti dehinaḥ
O bird (Garuda), it is certain that beings are punished by Yama and by Yama’s messengers. Whether a child, an old man, or a youth, embodied souls still cling to the body, yet they are taken away.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: All embodied beings—child, youth, or old—cling to the body, yet are inevitably seized and judged under Yama’s order.
Vedantic Theme: Asakti vs. dehābhimāna (identification with the body) as a root of suffering; karmic governance operates impartially beyond personal preference.
Application: Cultivate detachment and preparedness (smaraṇa of impermanence), live ethically to reduce fear of judgment, and perform timely rites/charity rather than postponing.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: court/road of death (implied)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of yamadūtas, judgment, and the soul’s forced departure; Garuda Purana: repeated motif that no age is exempt from death and karmic accounting
FAQs
This verse stresses that post-death accountability is unavoidable: Yama and his messengers administer karmic discipline to embodied beings, regardless of age.
It highlights the soul’s attachment to the body even at death, while affirming that Yama’s agents still carry out the consequences of one’s actions, initiating the post-mortem journey and judgment.
Reduce attachment and live ethically: cultivate dharma, restraint, and remembrance of mortality so actions do not lead to suffering under karmic judgment.