Shloka 3
Aśva–Gaja Āyurveda: Marks, Defects, Wounds, Doṣa-Therapy, and Protective Rites
मार्जारपादो व्याघ्राभः कुष्ठविद्रधिसन्निभः / यमजो वामनश्चैव मार्जारः कपिलोचनः
mārjārapādo vyāghrābhaḥ kuṣṭhavidradhisannibhaḥ / yamajo vāmanaścaiva mārjāraḥ kapilocanaḥ
‘बिल्ली-पाँव वाला’, ‘व्याघ्र-सदृश’, ‘कुष्ठ और फोड़े-फुंसियों जैसा’, ‘यम से उत्पन्न’, ‘वामन (बौना)’, ‘बिल्ली-सा’, और ‘पीली आँखों वाला’—ये यम के भयानक दूतों के कुछ रूप/नाम कहे गए हैं।
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: The dread of Yamadūtas symbolizes the moral gravity of actions and the inevitability of karmic reckoning.
Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra-bhaya (fear of transmigration) as a spur toward dharma and liberation-oriented living.
Application: Let the imagery function as ethical vigilance: reduce harm, cultivate truthfulness, restraint, and remembrance of the divine.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: lists of Yamadūta names/forms and their functions (general parallel)
FAQs
This verse lists frightening names/forms to convey the dread of Yama’s domain and to warn that sinful conduct leads to terrifying encounters in the post-death journey.
By naming Yama-born, animal-like and disease-like forms, the text signals that the soul’s passage is overseen by Yama’s forces, and that the experience can become fearful according to one’s karma.
Use it as a reminder to avoid harmful actions and to follow dharma; practitioners also take it as motivation to perform prescribed rites and charity with sincerity to reduce fear and suffering after death.