Budhāṣṭamī / Mahārudra Vrata: Procedure, Mantra, and the Story of Kauśika and Vijayā
यमो ऽपि विजयामाह गृहस्था भव मे पुरे / नोद्धाटयान्यत्रगते यमे सा न तथाकरोत् / अपश्यन्मातरं स्वां सा पाशयातनया स्थिताम्
yamo 'pi vijayāmāha gṛhasthā bhava me pure / noddhāṭayānyatragate yame sā na tathākarot / apaśyanmātaraṃ svāṃ sā pāśayātanayā sthitām
Yama pun berkata kepada Vijaya: “Tinggallah sebagai seorang penghuni rumah tangga di kotaku; jangan menghalau sesiapa pun ketika Yama pergi ke tempat lain.” Dia tidak menurutinya; lalu dia melihat ibunya sendiri berdiri di sana, terikat dan diseksa oleh jerat tali.
Narrator within the Garuda Purana dialogue (told by Lord Vishnu to Garuda)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Obedience to dharmic injunction (ājñā) in the domain of Yama; transgression leads to immediate confrontation with suffering born of karma.
Vedantic Theme: Law of karma as impersonal yet administered through dharma-devatā; ignorance/heedlessness (pramāda) yields bondage (pāśa).
Application: Respect ethical boundaries and entrusted responsibilities; do not misuse authority in another’s absence; cultivate vigilance against pramāda.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: city
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama’s city, pāśa imagery, and the mechanics of punishment/constraint; Garuda Purana: admonitions about pramāda and adharmic acts leading to yātanā
It highlights that even in Yama’s realm there is a strict code of conduct, and disobedience to dharma-like injunctions leads to immediate karmic consequences.
By placing the scene in Yama’s city and showing bondage and torment (pāśa-yātanā), it reflects the Garuda Purana theme that post-death experiences mirror one’s actions and the moral order governing the afterlife.
Follow rightful instructions and ethical boundaries; negligence and misuse of authority can rebound as suffering—this verse frames that principle through the imagery of Yama’s law and its enforcement.