Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

अवश्यमेव यास्यन्ति प्राणाः प्राघुणि (घूर्णि) का इव

Transliteration

avaśyameva yāsyanti prāṇāḥ prāghuṇi (ghūrṇi) kā iva

Translation

പ്രാണൻ നിർബന്ധമായും വിട്ടുപോകുന്നു—ചുറ്റുന്ന ലട്ടുവിനെപ്പോലെ. കാലത്തിന്റെ വേഗത്തിന് മുമ്പിൽ ഇവിടെ ആരും നിലനിൽക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല.

Word by Word

• avaśyam: necessarily
• avaśyam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: avaśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial usage (क्रियाविशेषण) ‘necessarily’

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) of emphasis

• yāsyanti: will go/depart
• yāsyanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ/Laṭ future-like usage; standard form is Luṭ (लुट्, periphrastic future) or simple future (लृट्) expected; here ‘yāsyanti’ = Lṛṭ (लृट्, simple future), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Plural

• prāṇāḥ: life-breaths/vital airs
• prāṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• prāghuṇi: a spinning top/whirl
• prāghuṇi: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāghuṇi/ghūrṇi (प्रातिपदिक; पाठभेद)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; uncertain lexeme due to variant reading; taken as a whirling/top-like object

• kā: what? (as if)
• kā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; interrogative used exclamatorily ‘what (is it) like?’

• iva: like/as
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (उपमा-निपात)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prana inevitably departs; life cannot be held still—recognize impermanence.

Vedantic Theme: Anitya and vairagya: the body-mind complex is unstable; cultivate discernment and preparedness.

Application: Contemplate mortality daily (mṛtyu-smṛti) to prioritize dharma, reconciliation, and spiritual practice; reduce procrastination.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated reminders of prana’s departure and the urgency of dharma (general); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: death as the trigger for the soul’s onward journey (general thematic link)

Characters & Entities

• Prana

FAQs

What is the importance of remembering death in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that prāṇa inevitably departs, encouraging timely dharma, detachment, and proper preparation for the post-death journey described in the Preta Kanda.

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

By highlighting the unavoidable exit of prāṇa, it sets the premise for the Garuda Purana’s after-death sequence—transition to the preta state and the onward journey governed by karma and rites.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with urgency in righteousness: reduce harmful actions, increase charity and devotion, and ensure family awareness of appropriate death rites (antyeṣṭi, śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna) as taught in the Garuda Purana.