Shloka 81

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

वैवस्वतगृहे यानं यथा तत्तु निबोधमेः / त्रयोदशे ऽह्नि श्रवणाकर्मणोनन्तरन्तु सः

Transliteration

vaivasvatagṛhe yānaṃ yathā tattu nibodhameḥ / trayodaśe 'hni śravaṇākarmaṇonantarantu saḥ

Translation

വൈവസ്വതൻ (യമൻ) എന്നവന്റെ ഗൃഹത്തിലേക്കുള്ള യാത്ര എങ്ങനെയെന്നു എന്നിൽ നിന്നു ഗ്രഹിക്കൂ. പതിമൂന്നാം ദിവസം ശ്രവണകർമ്മം കഴിഞ്ഞ ഉടൻ അവൻ (പ്രേതൻ) മുന്നോട്ട് പുറപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वैवस्वत-गृहे: in the house of Vaivasvata (Yama)
• वैवस्वत-गृहे: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वैवस्वतस्य गृहः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• यानम्: journey / conveyance
• यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• यथा: how / as
• यथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (how/as)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘that’ (referring to yānam)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक

• निबोध: understand / learn
• निबोध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—नि

• मे: from me / my
• मे: Sampradana (Source speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), एकवचन; ‘of me/to me’—अत्र ‘from me’ (ablative sense not morphological)

• त्रयोदशे: on the thirteenth (day)
• त्रयोदशे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोदश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (अहन्-शब्दस्य अपेक्षया), सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अह्नि: on the day
• अह्नि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• श्रवण-अकर्मणः: of the listening-rite
• श्रवण-अकर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक) + अकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (श्रवणस्य अकर्म); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (नपुंसक-द्वितीया एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण); कालवाचक—immediately after

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Trayodaśāha (13th day), immediately after śrāvaṇa-karman

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Post-mortem progression is time-linked to rites; after the 13th-day śrāvaṇa rite, the departed begins the journey toward Yama’s domain.

Vedantic Theme: Karma governs trajectory after death; ritual timing interfaces with subtle travel (adhikāra of saṃskāra).

Application: Perform the 13th-day śrāddha/śrāvaṇa rites punctually; treat them as a transition marker for the departed’s onward passage.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: abode/court

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: detailed Yama-mārga (path to Yama) descriptions in subsequent sections; Garuda Purana: 13th-day rites and onward journey markers (contextual continuity)

Characters & Entities

• Vaivasvata (Yama)
• Preta (departed soul)

FAQs

What is the importance of the thirteenth-day śrāvaṇa rite in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links the 13th-day śrāvaṇa observance with the departed’s onward movement toward Yama’s realm, presenting it as a key transition point in the post-death sequence.

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

It frames the after-death journey as ordered and ritual-linked: after the prescribed rite on the thirteenth day, the preta is said to proceed toward Vaivasvata (Yama), indicating a staged progression rather than an immediate final arrival.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It emphasizes timely, faithful performance of post-death rites and remembrance practices, encouraging families to observe the traditional sequence with care and intention.