Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 17

Vow-Fasting (Anaśana), Sannyāsa, Tīrtha-Death, and the Ethics of Dāna

Devanagari script

कृत्त्यासीनन्तत्तीर्थगतं रक्षन्ति वनदेवताः / यमदूता विशेषेण न याम्यास्तस्य पार्श्वगाः

Transliteration

kṛttyāsīnantattīrthagataṃ rakṣanti vanadevatāḥ / yamadūtā viśeṣeṇa na yāmyāstasya pārśvagāḥ

Translation

森の神々は、聖なる渡り場（ティールタ）に至り、坐して儀礼に専心する者を守護する。とりわけヤマの使者は近づかず、死の主の僕らはその傍らに立たない。

Word by Word

• कृत्त्या: with a knife / by cutting
• कृत्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्त्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘with a knife/with cutting (instrument)’ (अर्थानुसार)

• आसीनम्: one who is seated
• आसीनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle) ‘seated’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (नरम्/जनम् इति अध्याहार्य)

• तत्-तीर्थ-गतम्: gone to that sacred place
• तत्-तीर्थ-गतम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘तस्मिन् तीर्थे गतः’ = gone to that tīrtha)

• रक्षन्ति: protect
• रक्षन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• वन-देवताः: forest deities
• वन-देवताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘वनस्य देवताः’ = forest-deities)

• यम-दूताः: messengers of Yama
• यम-दूताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘यमस्य दूताः’)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (instrumental used adverbially)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• याम्याः: Yama’s (agents)
• याम्याः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘belonging to Yama’ (यमदूतानां विशेषणम्)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• पार्श्व-गाः: attending at his side
• पार्श्व-गाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘पार्श्वं गच्छन्ति/पार्श्वे गच्छन्ति’ = those who go/stand at the side)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tīrtha-niṣṭhā and ritual devotion invite divine protection; dharmic life creates a boundary Yama’s agents cannot cross.

Vedantic Theme: Adhikara (fitness) through purity and devotion; the moral order (ṛta/dharma) manifests as protection and fearlessness.

Application: Maintain regular sacred practice (japa, snāna, tīrtha-sevā) with ethical restraint; cultivate inner ‘tīrtha’ through purity so fear of death diminishes.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: tīrtha/āraṇya

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana themes: tīrtha-mahātmyas; Yamadūta avoidance for devotees and the righteous; protective deities at sacred places

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadutas
• Vana-devatas
• Tirtha

FAQs

What is the importance of performing rites at a tīrtha in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that reaching a tīrtha and being engaged in sacred rites brings protection—local guardian deities safeguard the person and Yama’s messengers do not approach.

How does this verse describe protection from Yama’s messengers (Yamadūtas)?

It explicitly says the Yamadūtas, the attendants of Yama, do not come near or stand at the person’s side when the person is under the protective influence of tīrtha-based ritual devotion.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain dharmic conduct and perform sincere rites (especially ancestral and purificatory practices) with reverence; the teaching emphasizes spiritual preparedness and protective merit gained through sacred practice.