Shloka 115
दीपस्तंभं दापयित्वा पते त्वं सूत्रं च बद्ध्वा स्वगले च भक्त्या / तदा बद्ध्वा यमदूतैश्च पाशैर्दीपस्तंभैस्ताड्यमानस्तु सम्यक्
dīpastaṃbhaṃ dāpayitvā pate tvaṃ sūtraṃ ca baddhvā svagale ca bhaktyā / tadā baddhvā yamadūtaiśca pāśairdīpastaṃbhaistāḍyamānastu samyak
ദീപസ്തംഭം ദാനം ചെയ്ത്, ഭക്തിയോടെ കഴുത്തിൽ ചരട് കെട്ടിയാൽ, യമദൂതന്മാർ നിന്നെ കയറുകൊണ്ട് കെട്ടി ദീപസ്തംഭങ്ങൾ കൊണ്ട് ക്രൂരമായി മർദ്ദിക്കും.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Dāna and external marks of devotion, when performed with deceit or wrong intent, do not avert papa; karma turns symbols into instruments of retribution.
Vedantic Theme: Primacy of antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi (inner purity) over mere external action; karma’s moral intelligence.
Application: Give with sincerity and ethical intent; avoid performative piety; align ritual acts with compassion and truthfulness.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: punitive corridor/court (implied)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna-phala and dāna-doṣa (faulty giving) motifs (general); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: instruments of punishment reflecting one’s acts (general)
FAQs
This verse warns that external acts like donating a lamp-stand or wearing a sacred thread do not protect a person if the act is done with deceit or hypocrisy; karmic accountability still follows, leading to punishment by Yamadutas.
It portrays the post-death judicial process under Yama: the soul is seized by Yamadutas, bound with nooses, and subjected to specific punishments that mirror the nature of one’s wrongdoing, emphasizing moral causality beyond mere ritual display.
Perform charity and religious observances with integrity—avoid using symbols of devotion as cover for unethical conduct; let visible piety match truthful behavior and responsibility.