Shloka 9

The Destiny of Those Who Die Through Fasting & the Procedure of Udakumbha-dāna

Devanagari script

एको वै धर्मराजाय तेन तुष्टेन मुक्तिभाक् / चित्रगुप्ताय चैकं तु गतस्तत्र सुखी भवेत्

Transliteration

eko vai dharmarājāya tena tuṣṭena muktibhāk / citraguptāya caikaṃ tu gatastatra sukhī bhavet

Translation

If one makes a single proper offering to Dharmarāja (Yama), then, when he is pleased, one becomes a recipient of liberation. And if one makes a single proper offering to Chitragupta, upon reaching that realm one becomes happy.

Word by Word

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier - implied pot)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (एक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• vai: indeed
• vai: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (वै)
• Form: Particle

• dharmarājāya: for Dharmaraja
• dharmarājāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharmarāja (धर्मराज)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• tena: by that
• tena: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• tuṣṭena: pleased/satisfied
• tuṣṭena: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣṭa (तुष्ट)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• muktibhāk: partaker of liberation
• muktibhāk: Visheshana (Qualifier to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muktibhāj (मुक्तिभाज्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• citraguptāya: for Chitragupta
• citraguptāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citragupta (चित्रगुप्त)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च)
• Form: Conjunction

• ekam: one
• ekam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (एक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• tu: but/however
• tu: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (तु)
• Form: Particle

• gataḥ: gone (the deceased)
• gataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gata (गत)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; Past Passive Participle

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (तत्र)
• Form: Adverb

• sukhī: happy
• sukhī: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukhin (सुखिन्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• bhavet: may become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi Lin), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Implied within preta-śrāddha sequence; single offering directed to Yama/Chitragupta as part of post-death rites.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Propitiation of Dharmarāja and Chitragupta through prescribed offering mitigates karmic obstacles and supports liberation/happiness.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati under īśvara; ritual action as purifier leading toward mokṣa-adhikāra.

Application: Perform the prescribed śrāddha/offerings with sincerity and correctness, cultivating accountability for one’s actions and remembrance of dharma.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: divine court/realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama-sabha descriptions; Chitragupta as karmic scribe; śrāddha-phala passages around the ṣoḍaśa-śrāddha sequence

Characters & Entities

• Dharmaraja (Yama)
• Chitragupta

FAQs

What is the importance of offerings to Yama (Dharmaraja) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that even a single sincere, proper offering directed to Dharmaraja can please him and lead to release from fear and bondage, pointing to the power of dharmic rites and repentance in the after-death journey.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in Yama’s realm?

It highlights the soul’s encounter with Yama’s administration—Yama as judge of dharma and Chitragupta as the recorder of deeds—implying that respectful ritual acknowledgment and righteousness can bring relief and favorable outcomes there.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically to keep one’s ‘account’ clean, and perform ancestral/death-related rites with sincerity and clarity of intention—using them as occasions for dharma, gratitude, and moral reform rather than mere formality.