Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 15
Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna
Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings
प्रचलन्ति ततः प्राणा याम्यैर्निकटवर्तिभिः / एकीभूतं जगत्पश्येद्दैवी दृष्टिः प्रजायते
pracalanti tataḥ prāṇā yāmyairnikaṭavartibhiḥ / ekībhūtaṃ jagatpaśyeddaivī dṛṣṭiḥ prajāyate
तब निकट खड़े यमदूत प्राणों को चलायमान कर देते हैं। मनुष्य जगत् को एकरूप देखता है—तभी दिव्य दृष्टि उत्पन्न होती है।
Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: At death, prāṇas are impelled toward the next state under Yama’s order; altered perception arises, indicating transition to subtle experience shaped by karma.
Vedantic Theme: Shift from gross to subtle cognition; the arising of ‘daivī dṛṣṭi’ hints at layers of consciousness beyond waking sense-mind, while remaining within saṃsāric governance unless liberated.
Application: Prepare for death with ethical living and remembrance practices so that the transition is met with steadiness; recognize that experiences at death may be intense and karmically conditioned.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: liminal threshold (between life and afterlife)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa descriptions of Yamadūtas, prāṇa-utkrānti, and the jīva’s post-death perception changes (strong internal thematic link).
FAQs
This verse portrays Yama’s attendants as immediate agents who propel the departing vital forces, marking the transition from embodied life to the post-death journey.
It indicates that once the pranas are impelled by Yama’s nearby attendants, the being’s perception shifts into a non-ordinary state where reality appears ‘unified,’ suggesting the activation of subtle perception during transit.
Live with ethical clarity and steady mind: the text implies that death brings an altered, heightened perception, so cultivating dharma and mental purity prepares one for that transition.