Shloka 96
Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga
Path to Yama
तत्र याम्य पुरं गच्छन्पुत्रपुत्रेति च ब्रुवन् / हाहेति क्रन्दते नित्यं स्वकृतं दुष्कृतं स्मरन्
tatra yāmya puraṃ gacchanputraputreti ca bruvan / hāheti krandate nityaṃ svakṛtaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ smaran
There, while going to Yama’s city, he keeps calling out, “O son, O grandson,” and continually wails, crying “Alas! Alas!”, remembering the evil deeds he himself has done.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: At death, familial attachments surface but cannot avert karma; remembrance of one’s own wrongdoing becomes the source of anguish.
Vedantic Theme: Asakti (non-attachment) and karma accountability; worldly relations are transient supports within saṃsāra.
Application: Cultivate ethical life now; reduce harmful actions that later become remorse; practice detachment and devotion so the mind at death is steadier.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: city
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: laments of the preta, calls to relatives, and the impotence of worldly ties; adjacent verses on the sixteen puras and subsequent torments.
FAQs
This verse presents Yamapura as the destination of the departing soul under Yama’s jurisdiction, where one’s own karma becomes the cause of fear and lamentation.
It depicts the soul proceeding toward Yama’s realm while emotionally clinging to family (calling “son, grandson”) yet being inwardly tormented by the memory of self-committed wrong actions.
Live with ethical restraint and repentance: cultivate dharma now, reduce harmful actions, and practice detachment so that the mind is not overwhelmed by regret and family-attachment at life’s end.