Shloka 1

Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna

Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings

Devanagari script

गोदानवृषोत्सर्गदशदानभूरिदानादिनिरूपणं नाम चतुर्दशो ऽध्यायः गरुड उवाच / बगवन्ब्रूहि मे सर्वं यमलोकस्य निर्णयम् / जन्तोः प्रयाणमारभ्य माहात्म्यं वर्त्मविस्तरम्

Transliteration

godānavṛṣotsargadaśadānabhūridānādinirūpaṇaṃ nāma caturdaśo 'dhyāyaḥ garuḍa uvāca / bagavanbrūhi me sarvaṃ yamalokasya nirṇayam / jantoḥ prayāṇamārabhya māhātmyaṃ vartmavistaram

Translation

(Ceci est) le quatorzième chapitre, nommé «Exposé des dons de vaches, de la libération d’un taureau, des dix dons, des dons abondants et des rites connexes». Garuḍa dit : «Ô Seigneur Bienheureux, dis-moi pleinement la décision établie concernant le royaume de Yama—depuis l’instant où l’être s’en va (à la mort), jusqu’à la grandeur et l’étendue détaillée du chemin (au-delà)».

Word by Word

• गोदानवृषोत्सर्गदशदानभूरिदानादिनिरूपणम्: the exposition/description of cow-gift, bull-release, ten gifts, abundant gifts, etc.
• गोदानवृषोत्सर्गदशदानभूरिदानादिनिरूपणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-दान + वृष-उत्सर्ग + दश-दान + भूरि-दान + आदि + निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक; समासघटकाः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषप्रधानः (निर्णयविषय-निर्देशः)

• नाम: named; called
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संज्ञासूचक-निपात (quotative/label marker)

• चतुर्दशः: fourteenth
• चतुर्दशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; अध्यायशब्दस्य विशेषणम्

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• गरुडः: Garuḍa
• गरुडः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell; speak
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me / of me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6/4), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्ववाचक

• यमलोकस्य: of Yama’s world
• यमलोकस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-लोक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य लोकः)

• निर्णयम्: the account/decision; description
• निर्णयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• जन्तोः: of the creature (soul)
• जन्तोः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• प्रयाणम्: departure (at death)
• प्रयाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• आरभ्य: beginning from; starting with
• आरभ्य: Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness; sacred significance
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• वर्त्म: path; route
• वर्त्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• विस्तरम्: the detailed extent; elaboration
• विस्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; वर्त्म-शब्देन सह समुच्चितार्थः (वर्त्मविस्तरम्)

Speaker

Garuḍa (Vinātā-putra), addressing Lord Viṣṇu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The post-death journey has a determinate order; knowing it supports right conduct and right rites.

Vedantic Theme: Ṛta/dharma as cosmic order governing saṃsāra; karma as the regulator of embodied and disembodied experience.

Application: Contemplate mortality and accountability; prepare through dharma, dāna, and remembrance of Viṣṇu; perform appropriate end-of-life and post-death rites.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: realm and route (mārga)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of Yamamārga, the sixteen stations (ṣoḍaśa nagarāṇi), and Yama’s adjudication; Garuda Purana: dāna-prakaraṇa (go-dāna, vṛṣotsarga, daśa-dāna) as supports for the departed

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Bhagavān (Lord Viṣṇu)
• Yama
• Yamaloka

FAQs

What is the importance of Yamaloka’s ‘nirṇaya’ (authoritative account) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames the teaching as a definitive, ordered explanation of Yama’s realm and the post-death process, meant to guide understanding and proper observance of rites connected to the departed.

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

It introduces the topic: the narrative will begin from the very start of the being’s departure (prayāṇa) and then expand into the greatness and detailed stages of the route (vartma-vistara) leading toward Yama’s domain.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat death-related duties with seriousness: cultivate ethical living (so the ‘path’ is favorable) and, where appropriate within one’s tradition, support acts of charity (dāna) performed with clarity of intention for the welfare of the departed.