Shloka 30

Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite

Devanagari script

यमद्वारे महाघोरे श्रुत्वा वैतरणीं तदीम् / तर्तुकामो ददाम्येनां तुभ्यं वैतरणीं नमः

Transliteration

yamadvāre mahāghore śrutvā vaitaraṇīṃ tadīm / tartukāmo dadāmyenāṃ tubhyaṃ vaitaraṇīṃ namaḥ

Translation

യമന്റെ മഹാഘോര ദ്വാരത്തിൽ ആ വൈതരണീ നദിയെക്കുറിച്ച് കേട്ട്, അതു കടക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ച് ഞാൻ ഈ ‘വൈതരണീ’ (ദാനം/കർമ്മം) നിനക്കു സമർപ്പിക്കുന്നു—വൈതരണീയ്ക്ക് നമസ്കാരം।

Word by Word

• yama-dvāre: at Yama’s gate
• yama-dvāre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound (तत्पुरुष) ‘Yama’s gate’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahā-ghore: in the very dreadful (place)
• mahā-ghore: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘very terrible’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with ‘dvāre’

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having heard’

• vaitaraṇīm: Vaitaraṇī (river)
• vaitaraṇīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaitaraṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tadīm: that very
• tadīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); emphatic/that very (तदीम्) qualifying ‘vaitaraṇīm’

• tartu-kāmaḥ: desiring to cross
• tartu-kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tartu (तुमुनन्त/infinitive from √tṝ) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘desirous to cross’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• dadāmi: I give
• dadāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• enām: this/that (her)
• enām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: enad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vaitaraṇīm: Vaitaraṇī (as offering)
• vaitaraṇīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaitaraṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• namaḥ: salutation; homage
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Prayojana (सम्बोधन/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय) used as salutation; often governs dative/accusative by usage

Speaker

Preta (departed soul) / ritual recitation on behalf of the deceased (as taught by Lord Vishnu to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Mantra moment within the Vaitaraṇī-dhenu/dāna rite, typically performed in śrāddha context for the departed

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The afterlife journey reflects karmic law; prescribed dāna and mantra are remedial supports that invoke auspicious passage.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra’s fear is met by dharmic action and surrender; ritual as upāya within empirical reality.

Application: Live with awareness of consequences; in times of fear, combine ethical repair (charity, restitution) with prayerful surrender.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: gate and river-crossing

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.47.26-29 (Vaitaraṇī-dhenu rite setup and mantra preface); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa descriptions of Yama’s path and rivers (general internal thematic link)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Vaitarani

FAQs

What is the importance of Vaitaraṇī in Garuda Purana?

This verse treats Vaitaraṇī as a feared crossing near Yama’s realm and presents the ‘Vaitaraṇī’ offering/rite as a means sought by the departed to safely cross it.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It places the soul at Yama’s terrifying gate and highlights a specific obstacle—the Vaitaraṇī—implying that post-death passage involves perilous stages where prescribed rites and offerings are invoked for assistance.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages timely performance of śrāddha-related duties and charity with the intention of easing the deceased’s passage, while also reminding the living to follow dharma to avoid fear in the afterlife journey.