Shloka 22

Preta-mārga Supports (Dāna), Chitragupta’s Accounting, and the Enumeration of Narakas

Devanagari script

यमदूता महारौद्राः करालाः कृष्णपिङ्गलाः / न पीडयन्ति दाक्षिण्याद्वस्त्राभारणदानतः

Transliteration

yamadūtā mahāraudrāḥ karālāḥ kṛṣṇapiṅgalāḥ / na pīḍayanti dākṣiṇyādvastrābhāraṇadānataḥ

Translation

യമദൂതന്മാർ മഹാരൗദ്രരും കരാളരുമായ കൃഷ്ണപിംഗളനേത്രന്മാർ; എന്നാൽ ദാക്ഷിണ്യത്തോടെ വസ്ത്രവും ആഭരണവും ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവനെ അവർ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• यमदूताः: messengers of Yama
• यमदूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + दूत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य दूताः)

• महारौद्राः: very fierce
• महारौद्राः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यमदूतानाम्)

• करालाः: terrible, grim
• करालाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यमदूतानाम्)

• कृष्णपिङ्गलाः: dark-brown/blackish-tawny
• कृष्णपिङ्गलाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यमदूतानाम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• पीडयन्ति: they torment, afflict
• पीडयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• दाक्षिण्यात्: from generosity
• दाक्षिण्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षिण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (from/owing to generosity)

• वस्त्राभरणदानतः: because of giving clothes and ornaments
• वस्त्राभरणदानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वस्त्र + आभरण + दान (प्रातिपदिक; समास) + तः (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; समासः (वस्त्र-आभरण-दान) = वस्त्राणाम् आभरणानां च दानम्; कारणवाचक

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dāna (gifts), especially of clothing and ornaments, yields protective karma that averts torment by Yama’s agents.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and the subtle continuity of merit beyond death; ethical action shaping post-mortem experience.

Application: Practice regular dāna—clothing and useful personal items—to cultivate compassion and to support auspicious post-death passage (also as part of funerary charity).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: road/path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: dāna as protection on the yamamārga; descriptions of Yamadūtas and their restraint by merit; Garuda Purana: śrāddha/dāna sections linking gifts to the preta’s comfort

Characters & Entities

• Yamadutas
• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of vastra-dāna (donating clothes) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that gifts like clothing (vastra) and ornaments (ābharaṇa), given with generosity, lessen post-death torment—Yama’s messengers do not afflict such a donor.

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

It implies that the preta’s journey and encounters with Yama’s agents are shaped by karma; charitable acts performed in life can mitigate fear and suffering in the after-death passage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice regular, sincere charity—especially essentials like clothing—cultivating dākṣiṇya (kindness), as ethical giving is presented as protective merit in the Garuda Purana.