Shloka 113
Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga
Path to Yama
व्रजन्नेवं विलपते पट्टिशैः पातितः पथि / हा मातर्हापितर्भ्रातः सुता हा हा मम स्त्रियः
vrajannevaṃ vilapate paṭṭiśaiḥ pātitaḥ pathi / hā mātarhāpitarbhrātaḥ sutā hā hā mama striyaḥ
ഇങ്ങനെ പോകുമ്പോൾ അവൻ വിലപിക്കുന്നു; വഴിയിൽ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള ആയുധങ്ങളാൽ അടിക്കപ്പെട്ടു വീഴുന്നു. “ഹാ അമ്മേ! ഹാ അച്ഛാ! സഹോദരാ! മകനേ! ഹാ ഹാ—എന്റെ ഭാര്യേ!” എന്നു ദുഃഖത്തോടെ കരയുന്നു.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Attachment erupts as lament, yet the journey proceeds under forces shaped by one’s deeds; worldly bonds cannot intervene.
Vedantic Theme: Anityatā of worldly relations; jīva’s isolation when karma ripens.
Application: Cultivate detachment and spiritual preparation while alive; support the dying with dharma-instruction and remembrance practices rather than mere emotional clinging.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: path (preta-mārga)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated depictions of the preta’s suffering on the road and calling out to relatives; Garuda Purana: Yama-dūta narratives where lamentation is contrasted with karmic necessity
FAQs
This verse highlights how intense attachment to family resurfaces after death, becoming a cause of anguish as the preta undergoes painful experiences on the way to Yama’s realm.
It depicts the departed (preta) moving along a harsh route where suffering is encountered, and where the mind repeatedly clings to relationships—mother, father, brother, child, and spouse—through grief-filled cries.
Cultivate steadiness and dharmic living, and practice healthy detachment; support death rites and remembrance with prayer and charity so grief does not turn into binding attachment.