Shloka 52
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
आगच्छन्ति दुरात्मानो यमस्य पुरुषास्तदा / प्राप्ते त्वीदृक्पथे घोरे जायते तस्य वेपथुः
āgacchanti durātmāno yamasya puruṣāstadā / prāpte tvīdṛkpathe ghore jāyate tasya vepathuḥ
Alors les redoutables serviteurs de Yama viennent chercher l’âme mauvaise. Quand ce chemin terrible est atteint, le tremblement s’empare de lui.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: The wicked-souled are apprehended by Yama’s attendants; encountering the ‘ghora path’ triggers involuntary भय and वेपथु—karma becomes experiential inevitability.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala as niyati-like compulsion for the ajñānī bound by doership; fear arises when the mind confronts its own stored adharma.
Application: Live so that death and accountability do not provoke terror: cultivate ethical conduct, confession/atonement, and remembrance of dharma.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: path/road
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yamadūta seizure and the ‘path’ descriptions (mārga-varṇana) in surrounding chapters
FAQs
This verse highlights that Yama’s attendants specifically seize the durātmā (wicked-minded), signaling that post-death consequences are tied to one’s karma and conduct.
It portrays the soul’s transition as a ‘ghora patha’ (dreadful route) for the sinful, where fear manifests as vepathu (trembling) upon encountering Yama’s agents.
Live with dharma—truthfulness, restraint, compassion—and reduce harmful actions; the text frames inner fear after death as the karmic echo of wrongdoing.