Shloka 16

Śravaṇa-Mahātmya: The Śravaṇas, Cosmic Testimony, and the Paths of the Puruṣārthas

Devanagari script

स्थित्वा चैव तथाकाशे जन्तूनां चेष्टितं च यत् / तज्ज्ञात्वा धर्मराजाग्रे मृत्युकाले वदन्ति च

Transliteration

sthitvā caiva tathākāśe jantūnāṃ ceṣṭitaṃ ca yat / tajjñātvā dharmarājāgre mṛtyukāle vadanti ca

Translation

അവർ ആകാശത്തിൽ നിലകൊണ്ട് ജീവികളുടെ എല്ലാ പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങളും നിരീക്ഷിക്കുന്നു; അതറിഞ്ഞ് മരണസമയത്ത് ധർമ്മരാജന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• स्थित्वा: having stood/remained
• स्थित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जन्तूनाम्: of beings/creatures
• जन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• चेष्टितम्: activity/behavior
• चेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टित (प्रातिपदिक; from चेष्ट्/चेष्टा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• धर्मराजाग्रे: before Dharmarāja (Yama)
• धर्मराजाग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मराजस्य अग्रे = before Yama)

• मृत्युकाले: at the time of death
• मृत्युकाले: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृत्योः काले)

• वदन्ति: they speak/tell
• वदन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Discourse connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All actions are observed and reported at death; karmic truth is disclosed before Dharmarāja.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-niyama and the transition at death (antakāla) where saṃskāras mature into phala; moral causality is inescapable.

Application: Live as if witnessed: align conduct with dharma; prepare for death through ethical living, confession, and remembrance of the divine.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: aerial station and judicial assembly

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yamadūtas, Chitragupta-like accounting, judgment in Yamaloka (general parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Dharmaraja (Yama)
• Yamadutas (implied messengers/recorders of deeds)
• Jantus (living beings)

FAQs

What is the importance of karma-recording in the Garuda Purana?

This verse emphasizes that one’s deeds are observed and later reported to Dharmarāja at death, underscoring moral accountability and the inevitability of karmic consequences.

How does this verse explain the soul’s path after death?

It indicates an immediate transition into a moral-judicial framework: at death, the being’s actions are presented before Yama, which then shapes the subsequent after-death journey and experiences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ongoing ethical awareness—since deeds are “known” and accountable—cultivating dharma (right conduct) as daily preparation for the inevitable moment of death.