Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 141

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

संपूर्णे तु ततो वर्षे शीताढ्यं नगरं व्रजेत् / गच्छन्नेवं छुरिकया च्छिन्नजिह्वस्तु रोदिति

Transliteration

saṃpūrṇe tu tato varṣe śītāḍhyaṃ nagaraṃ vrajet / gacchannevaṃ churikayā cchinnajihvastu roditi

Translation

When that year is completed, he goes to a city filled with intense cold. As he proceeds, his tongue is cut with a knife, and he weeps.

Word by Word

• संपूर्णे: when complete
• संपूर्णे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (Locative); एकवचन; (when) complete

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then/from there)

• वर्षे: in the year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (Locative); एकवचन

• शीताढ्यम्: full of cold
• शीताढ्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीत-आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; समास-विग्रहः: शीतेन आढ्यम् (abounding in cold)

• नगरम्: city
• नगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should go)

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (going)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• छुरिकया: with a knife
• छुरिकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छुरिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental); एकवचन

• च्छिन्नजिह्वः: with tongue cut off
• च्छिन्नजिह्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: च्छिन्न-जिह्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: छिन्ना जिह्वा यस्य (whose tongue is cut)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed)

• रोदिति: cries
• रोदिति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (cries)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue, instructing Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: At completion of one year (ābdika threshold implied)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The post-death journey unfolds in stages; suffering continues according to karmic law even after temporal milestones.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāric continuity beyond bodily death; time-bound rites vs deeper liberation—prompting pursuit of śreyas.

Application: Use the teaching to intensify spiritual practice now; perform annual rites, but also seek inner transformation through dharma and devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: the ‘one-year’ threshold and subsequent city-stations; punishments involving cutting/maiming as symbolic of speech-related sins in some lists (topic resonance).

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of describing a cold city in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses the image of an intensely cold city to depict a specific karmic consequence in the preta’s post-death journey, emphasizing that suffering is experienced as concrete, embodied pain in Yama’s domain.

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

It presents the after-death progression in stages—after completing a set period (a year), the being is led onward to another region where a particular punishment is experienced, illustrating an ordered itinerary of consequences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages disciplined speech and ethical conduct—since harmful actions and misuse of the tongue are portrayed as leading to severe consequences—supporting truthfulness, restraint, and accountability.