Shloka 116

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

जानासि शम्बलमलं बलमध्वगानां नो ऽशम्बलः प्रयतते परलोकगत्यै / गन्तव्यमस्ति तव निश्चितमेव तेन मार्गेण येन न भवेत् क्रयविक्रयो ऽपि

Transliteration

jānāsi śambalamalaṃ balamadhvagānāṃ no 'śambalaḥ prayatate paralokagatyai / gantavyamasti tava niścitameva tena mārgeṇa yena na bhavet krayavikrayo 'pi

Translation

പാതയാത്രികർക്കു മതിയായ ശംബലം (യാത്രാസാധനം) തന്നെയാണ് ബലം എന്നു നീ അറിയുന്നു; എങ്കിലും ശംബലം ഇല്ലാത്തവനും പരലോകഗതിക്കായി പരിശ്രമിക്കുന്നു. നീയും തീർച്ചയായും അതേ മാർഗത്തിലൂടെ പോകണം—അവിടെ വാങ്ങലും വിൽപ്പനയും പോലും ഇല്ല.

Word by Word

• जानासि: you know
• जानासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शम्बलम्: provisions, supplies
• शम्बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अलम्: enough; sufficiently
• अलम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पर्याप्त्यर्थक/निषेधार्थक) = enough/sufficiently

• बलम्: strength, support
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र 'शम्बलम्' इत्यस्य विशेषण/समर्थकभावः

• अध्वगानाम्: of travelers
• अध्वगानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वग (प्रातिपदिक; अध्वन् + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (अध्वनि गच्छन्ति)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• अशम्बलः: one without provisions
• अशम्बलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शम्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग (without provisions)

• प्रयतते: strives, makes effort
• प्रयतते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• परलोकगत्यै: for the journey to the next world
• परलोकगत्यै: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परलोक + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (परलोकस्य गतिः)

• गन्तव्यम्: must be gone (one must go)
• गन्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle) = to be gone; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निश्चितम्: certain, decided
• निश्चितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + चि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'गन्तव्यम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = emphatic particle

• तेन: by that; therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मार्गेण: by the path
• मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/Path/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• भवेत्: would be / may occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• क्रयविक्रयः: buying and selling
• क्रयविक्रयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रय + विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (क्रयश्च विक्रयश्च)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-कार) = even/also

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra about the inevitability of the soul’s onward journey)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Worldly resources and commerce do not operate after death; one must prepare ‘provisions’ as merit and right conduct before departure.

Vedantic Theme: Asaṅgatā of the ātman from worldly systems; karma as the operative law beyond social institutions.

Application: Accumulate ‘travel-provisions’ through dharma: charity, truthfulness, restraint, devotion; do not postpone ethical living assuming later purchase/compensation is possible.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: path (preta-mārga) beyond worldly society

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: motifs of the long road and the need for merit as sustenance; inability to bribe or bargain; Garuda Purana: repeated teaching that wealth cannot follow, only karma

Characters & Entities

• Paraloka

FAQs

What is the importance of being 'without provisions' (aśambala) in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse emphasizes inevitability: even if one lacks worldly supports, the passage to paraloka must still be undertaken, urging inner preparation rather than reliance on material resources.

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

It portrays the after-death route as a fixed journey that everyone must take, and as a realm where ordinary transactions (buying and selling) do not function—highlighting that worldly means cannot control the passage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with detachment and ethical clarity: prioritize dharma, charity, and remembrance of impermanence, since worldly wealth and bargaining cannot be carried into the next journey.