Shloka 151

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

ये तु पुण्यकृतस्तत्र ते पश्यन्ति यमं तदा / सौम्याकृतिं कुण्डलिनं मौलिमन्तं धृतश्रियम्

Transliteration

ye tu puṇyakṛtastatra te paśyanti yamaṃ tadā / saumyākṛtiṃ kuṇḍalinaṃ maulimantaṃ dhṛtaśriyam

Translation

But those who have performed meritorious deeds there behold Yama at that time as gentle in form—adorned with earrings, crowned, and bearing an auspicious splendor.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; relative pronoun 'who'

• tu: but
• tu: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात) = 'but/however'

• puṇya: merit
• puṇya: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (merit/virtue) — समासाङ्ग

• kṛtaḥ: merit-doers
• kṛtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय/कृत-प्रातिपदिक), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: पुण्य-कृतः = 'doers of merit'

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = 'there'

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun 'they/those'

• paśyanti: see
• paśyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √दृश् = 'see'

• yamam: Yama
• yamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = 'then/at that time'

• saumya: gentle
• saumya: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saumya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (gentle/pleasant) — समासाङ्ग

• ākṛtim: form/appearance
• ākṛtim: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: सौम्य-आकृतिम् = 'of gentle form'

• kuṇḍalinam: earring-wearing
• kuṇḍalinam: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kuṇḍalin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'wearing earrings'

• maulimantam: crowned
• maulimantam: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mauli (प्रातिपदिक) + mant (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (मतुप्/मन्त) = 'having a crown/diadem'

• dhṛta: bearing
• dhṛta: Samasa-anga (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, धृत) — समासाङ्ग; 'held/bearing'

• śriyam: splendor/prosperity
• śriyam: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: धृत-श्रियम् = 'bearing splendor/prosperity'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Punya transforms the afterlife encounter: Yama is seen as gentle, adorned, and auspicious by the righteous.

Vedantic Theme: Antahkarana-shuddhi shaping experience; sattva leading to peaceful perception even in liminal states.

Application: Accumulate merit through dharma and compassion; cultivate sattvic habits so that transitions (death, loss) are met with steadiness rather than terror.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: court/assembly hall

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: contrast of Yama’s forms for papa vs punya beings (immediately surrounding verses); Garuda Purana: punya-karmas leading to svarga and favorable gatis

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of merit (puṇya) in the Garuda Purana’s afterlife teachings?

This verse states that the virtuous perceive Yama not as terrifying but as benevolent and radiant, showing that one’s karma shapes the very experience of divine judgment.

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

In the post-death journey described in the Preta Kanda, encounters in Yama’s domain are not uniform; those with merit behold Yama in a soothing, auspicious form, indicating a karma-conditioned passage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate puṇya through ethical conduct, charity, truthfulness, and dharmic living—so that accountability after death is faced with clarity and inner peace rather than fear.