Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ईशानाद्यास्ततो बाह्ये देवाद्या हेतुकादयः / हैतुकस्त्रिपुरान्तश्च अग्निवेतालकौ यमः

Transliteration

īśānādyāstato bāhye devādyā hetukādayaḥ / haitukastripurāntaśca agnivetālakau yamaḥ

Translation

അവരുടെ പുറംവശത്ത് ഈശാനൻ മുതലായവർ; പിന്നെ ദേവന്മാരും മറ്റുള്ളവർ—ഹേതുക മുതലായവർ. അവിടെ ഹൈതുകൻ, ത്രിപുരാന്തൻ, അഗ്നിയും വേതാലകനും, കൂടെ യമനും ഉണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• īśāna-ādyāḥ: beginning with Īśāna
• īśāna-ādyāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (īśāna-ādi = beginning with Īśāna)

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

• bāhye: in the outer (region)
• bāhye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• deva-ādyāḥ: beginning with the devas
• deva-ādyāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (beginning with the gods)

• hetuka-ādayaḥ: the group beginning with Hetuka
• hetuka-ādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hetuka (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (those beginning with Hetuka)

• haitukaḥ: Haituka (name)
• haitukaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haituka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tripurāntaḥ: Tripurānta (name)
• tripurāntaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + pura (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tripura-anta = end/terminus of Tripura)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• agni-vetālakau: Agni and Vetālaka
• agni-vetālakau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + vetālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (two names)

• yamaḥ: Yama
• yamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic administration: different classes of beings occupy ordered stations; Yama represents moral law (ṛta/dharma) overseeing transgression.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara’s governance through devatā-adhikāra; dharma as the structuring principle of the manifest order.

Application: Use the list as a protective invocation when establishing a sacred perimeter (vāstu, yajña, temple/house rites), remembering Yama as restraint against adharma.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: ritual perimeter / directional ring

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.46.22 (preceding list); Garuda Purana 1.46.24 (further guardians and preta-leader)

Characters & Entities

• Ishana
• Devas
• Hetuka
• Haituka
• Tripuranta
• Agni
• Vetalaka
• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of listing beings like Yama, Agni, and Vetālaka in the Garuda Purana?

This verse emphasizes that the after-death realm is governed by an ordered hierarchy of deities and guardians, with Yama prominently included among the regulating powers.

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

By naming Yama and other supervisory beings, the verse frames the soul’s post-death passage as occurring within a structured domain where specific authorities oversee movement, judgment, and boundaries.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It reinforces ethical restraint (yama) and dharmic living—since the tradition portrays moral order as real and administered—encouraging disciplined conduct and reverence in death-related rites.