Shloka 3
Yama-mārga (Adhvan) and the Courts of Yama: Vaivasvatī and Chitragupta
श्रीभगवानुवाच / षटशीतिसहस्राणि योजनानां प्रमाणतः / यमलोकस्य चाध्वानमन्तरा मानुषस्य च
śrībhagavānuvāca / ṣaṭaśītisahasrāṇi yojanānāṃ pramāṇataḥ / yamalokasya cādhvānamantarā mānuṣasya ca
Baginda Tuhan Yang Maha Mulia bersabda: Jalan perantaraan antara alam manusia dan alam Yama, menurut ukuran, terbentang sejauh lapan puluh enam ribu yojana.
Lord Vishnu (Śrī Bhagavān)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Post-mortem journey is real, structured, and vast; the soul’s passage is governed by cosmic order.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-niyati (divine ordinance) and karma-niyama (law of moral causation) operating across lokas.
Application: Cultivate dharma and remembrance of Hari now, recognizing death as a transition with consequences; prepare through right conduct and śrāddha support for ancestors.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: intervening path/adhvan (cosmic road)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of Yamadūtas, the soul’s road, and measurement of the path in adjacent adhyāyas of the same section
FAQs
This verse quantifies the post-death route, emphasizing that the journey to Yama’s realm is a defined, consequential passage in the afterlife narrative, not a vague idea.
By stating the measured ‘adhvan’ between the human realm and Yamaloka, it frames the soul’s post-mortem transition as a real journey through an intermediate stretch described elsewhere with accompanying experiences and outcomes.
It encourages mindful living and timely observance of dharmic duties and funeral rites, reminding practitioners that actions have post-death consequences described in the Purāṇic framework.