Shloka 35

The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds

Devanagari script

चत्वारिंशत्तथा सप्त योजनानि शतद्वयम् / प्रयाति प्रत्यहं तार्क्ष्य अहोरात्रेण कर्शितः

Transliteration

catvāriṃśattathā sapta yojanāni śatadvayam / prayāti pratyahaṃ tārkṣya ahorātreṇa karśitaḥ

Translation

Wahai Tārkṣya (Garuda), diseksa oleh berlalu siang dan malam, setiap hari dia menempuh dua ratus yojana, dan lagi empat puluh tujuh yojana tambahan.

Word by Word

• चत्वारिंशत्: forty
• चत्वारिंशत्: Visheshana (Quantifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या (numeral), अव्ययवत्/प्रातिपदिकरूपेण (used as numeral), (योजनानि इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• तथा: and/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (and/likewise)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Quantifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या (numeral), अव्ययवत्; (योजनानि इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• योजनानि: yojanas (distance units)
• योजनानि: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), बहुवचन (pl)

• शतद्वयम्: two hundred
• शतद्वयम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'two hundreds'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg)

• प्रयाति: travels/goes forth
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg)

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (adverbial: 'each day'), कालवाचक-अव्यय

• तार्क्ष्य: O Tārkṣya (Garuda)
• तार्क्ष्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), सम्बोधन (Voc. 8), एकवचन (sg)

• अहोरात्रेण: by a day-and-night (within 24 hours)
• अहोरात्रेण: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (itaretara: day and night), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.; as a pair), तृतीया (Instr. 3), एकवचन (sg)

• कर्शितः: emaciated/worn out
• कर्शितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → कर्शय् + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Post-death travel is arduous and proportioned; the soul is ‘kṛśita’ (worn down) by day-night passage, implying that karmic burden and lack of supports magnify hardship.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra as a long ‘adhvan’ (road) driven by karma; time (kāla) as an instrument of experience; embodiment-like suffering persists in subtle form.

Application: Cultivate dharma and perform supportive rites so the departed is not left to a harsh, unsupported passage; reflect on mortality to motivate ethical living.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: road/path (implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: measurements of the preta’s daily travel and stages of the journey; Garuda Purana: descriptions of fatigue, attendants, and the timetable of post-death transit

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Tarkshya)

FAQs

What is the importance of the daily travel distance described in the Garuda Purana?

It conveys the intensity and hardship of the preta’s post-death journey, emphasizing urgency for proper rites and righteous living.

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

It depicts the departed being driven onward day after day, worn down by the cycle of day and night, indicating a structured, arduous progression in the preta-state narrative.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically to reduce suffering after death, and ensure timely śrāddha and related rites for the departed as taught in the Preta Kanda tradition.