Shloka 2

Arrival at Yama’s cities: Citragupta’s scrutiny, Dharmadhvaja’s gate, and the necessity of dāna

Devanagari script

चित्रगुप्तपुरं तत्र योजनानां तु विंशतिः / कायस्थास्तत्र पश्यन्ति पापपुण्यानि सर्वशः

Transliteration

citraguptapuraṃ tatra yojanānāṃ tu viṃśatiḥ / kāyasthāstatra paśyanti pāpapuṇyāni sarvaśaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ചിത്രഗുപ്തന്റെ നഗരം ഉണ്ട്; അത് ഇരുപത് യോജന വ്യാപ്തിയുള്ളത്. അവിടെ കായസ്ഥ ലേഖകർ എല്ലാ വിധത്തിലും പാപപുണ്യകർമ്മങ്ങളെ നിരീക്ഷിച്ച് പരിശോധിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• चित्रगुप्तपुरम्: Citragupta’s city
• चित्रगुप्तपुरम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रगुप्त + पुर (प्रातिपदिकसमूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Sg.; 'city of Citragupta')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place)

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Gen., Pl.)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle; 'but/indeed')

• विंशतिः: twenty
• विंशतिः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom., Sg.; numeral used substantively)

• कायस्थाः: scribes (kāyasthas)
• कायस्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कायस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present, 3rd pl.)

• पापपुण्यानि: sins and merits
• पापपुण्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिकसमूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (Neuter, Acc., Pl.; 'sins and merits')

• सर्वशः: completely/in all ways
• सर्वशः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/सम्पूर्णता-वाचक (indeclinable adverb; 'in every way/entirely')

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All actions—sin and merit—are recorded and examined; nothing is lost or hidden in the moral order.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati (lawful fruition) operating through īśvara’s order; ethical causality as part of ṛta/dharma.

Application: Practice self-audit: daily reflection, confession/prāyaścitta where appropriate, and intentional cultivation of puṇya.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Citragupta’s role and karmic registers (nearby verses/chapters)

Characters & Entities

• Citragupta
• Kāyasthas

FAQs

What is the importance of Citragupta in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Citragupta’s city as the administrative center where sins and merits are reviewed, emphasizing moral accountability after death.

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

It indicates a stage in the post-death journey where the departed person’s actions are examined by record-keepers, forming the basis for subsequent outcomes in Yama’s domain.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ethical consistency—treat actions as accountable—by cultivating merit (puṇya) and avoiding harmful conduct (pāpa).