Shloka 27

The Explanation of Various Gifts (Dāna) and the Soul’s Entry into Another Body

Devanagari script

नवद्वारै रोमभिश्च जनानां तालुरन्ध्रके / पापिष्ठानामपानेन जीवो निष्क्रामति ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

navadvārai romabhiśca janānāṃ tālurandhrake / pāpiṣṭhānāmapānena jīvo niṣkrāmati dhruvam

Translation

സാധാരണ മനുഷ്യരുടെ ജീവൻ ഒൻപതു ദ്വാരങ്ങളിലൂടെയും, രോമരന്ധ്രങ്ങളിലൂടെയും, കൂടാതെ താലുവിലെ രന്ധ്രത്തിലൂടെയും പുറപ്പെടാം; എന്നാൽ അതിപാപികളുടെ ജീവൻ ഉറപ്പായി അപാനമാർഗം—അധോമാർഗം—വഴി പുറപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• नवद्वारैः: by the nine gates (openings)
• नवद्वारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः = ‘नव द्वाराणि’

• रोमभिः: by the hairs/pores
• रोमभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• जनानाम्: of people
• जनानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• तालु: in/through the palate
• तालु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तालु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• रन्ध्रके: in the small opening
• रन्ध्रके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रन्ध्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• पापिष्ठानाम्: of the most sinful
• पापिष्ठानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + इष्ठन् (तमप्/इष्ठ-प्रत्यय, superlative))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (जनानाम्)

• अपानेन: by the apāna (downward vital air)
• अपानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• जीवः: the soul/living being
• जीवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निष्क्रामति: goes out; exits
• निष्क्रामति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्रम् (धातु) + निस्/निष् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (निश्चयार्थक-क्रियाविशेषणम्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmic quality influences the channel of departure; pāpa drags consciousness downward through apāna.

Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-karma conditioning of the subtle body’s movement; upward/downward tendencies (ūrdhva-gati vs adho-gati).

Application: Ethical restraint and purification (satya, ahiṃsā, śauca), and cultivating sattva through japa and right living to avoid downward tendencies at death.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: body-gates (dvāra/mārga)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.31 (continuation on death-process, exit channels, and subsequent journey)

Characters & Entities

• Jiva
• Apana

FAQs

What is the importance of apāna in the Garuda Purana’s description of death?

This verse uses apāna (the downward vital current and lower outlet) as a marker of an inauspicious departure, stating that the extremely sinful jīva exits through the lower passage.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul at the moment of death?

It distinguishes multiple exit-points for the departing jīva—nine bodily openings, pores, and the palate-opening—while emphasizing that for grave sinners the exit is specifically via apāna, implying a karmically conditioned departure.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live in a way that reduces pāpa (harm, deceit, cruelty) and strengthens dharma—ethical conduct and devotion—since the Purana frames one’s death-experience and exit as shaped by one’s accumulated karma.