Shloka 124

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

आयाति तत्र दृश्यन्ते नाविका धीवरादयः / ते वदन्ति प्रदत्ता गौर्यदि वैतरणी त्वया / नावमेनां समारोह सुकेनोत्तर वै नदीम्

Transliteration

āyāti tatra dṛśyante nāvikā dhīvarādayaḥ / te vadanti pradattā gauryadi vaitaraṇī tvayā / nāvamenāṃ samāroha sukenottara vai nadīm

Translation

അവിടെ എത്തിയാൽ തോണിക്കാരും മത്സ്യത്തൊഴിലാളികളും കാണപ്പെടും. അവർ പറയും—“നീ ഗോദാനം ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ നിനക്കായി വൈതരണി ഒരുക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു; ഈ തോണിയിൽ കയറി സുഖമായി നദി കടക്കുക.”

Word by Word

• आयाति: comes; approaches
• आयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: ‘are seen’)

• नाविकाः: boatmen
• नाविकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāvika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• धीवरादयः: fishermen and others
• धीवरादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhīvara (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (dhīvarāḥ ādayaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘and fishermen etc.’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वदन्ति: say
• वदन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रदत्ता: given; donated
• प्रदत्ता: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√dā (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘गौः’ इति विशेषण

• गौः: a cow
• गौः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Condition marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• वैतरणी: Vaitaraṇī (cow/river-name)
• वैतरणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaitaraṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (नाम)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-instrumental, करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• नावम्: boat
• नावम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एनाम्: this (her/it)
• एनाम्: Karman-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: enad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘नावम्’ इति विशेषण/अन्वय

• समारोह: board; climb
• समारोह: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√ruh (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुखेन: with ease; comfortably
• सुखेन: Karana/Adverbial (करण/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial instrumental)

• उत्तर: cross over
• उत्तर: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√tṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• नदीम्: the river
• नदीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Go-dāna functions as post-mortem support; charity converts into ‘means’ (boat) at the critical crossing.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as upāya within saṃsāra; merit becomes a supportive instrument when the jīva is powerless.

Application: Practice daana—especially go-dāna or equivalent compassionate giving—intentionally dedicating merit for end-of-life passage and welfare beyond.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: river crossing/ford

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: go-dāna praised as aid at Vaitaraṇī (2.5.125–126); Garuda Purana: daana as ‘sahaaya’ to the preta in multiple sections

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī
• Nāvikas (boatmen)
• Dhīvaras (fishermen)
• Gau-dāna (cow-gift)

FAQs

What is the importance of Gau-dāna (cow donation) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links Gau-dāna with receiving assistance to cross the Vaitaraṇī, symbolizing that righteous charity supports the soul’s safe passage in the afterlife journey.

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

It describes a checkpoint on the preta’s route where boatmen appear and determine eligibility for an easy crossing of the Vaitaraṇī based on whether the person performed the prescribed gift of a cow.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate dāna (generosity) and dharma in life; in traditional practice, families may perform charity in the deceased’s name, aligning rites with compassion and ethical giving.