Shloka 106

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

महता पुण्ययोगेन मानुष्यं लब्धवानहम् / तृतीये मासि सम्प्राप्ते गन्धर्वनगरे शुभम्

Transliteration

mahatā puṇyayogena mānuṣyaṃ labdhavānaham / tṛtīye māsi samprāpte gandharvanagare śubham

Translation

Dengan pertautan besar hasil kebajikan yang terkumpul, aku memperoleh kelahiran sebagai manusia. Dan apabila bulan ketiga tiba, aku sampai ke kota para Gandharva yang mulia lagi bertuah.

Word by Word

• महता: by great
• महता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with पुण्ययोगेन)

• पुण्ययोगेन: by the conjunction/accumulation of merit
• पुण्ययोगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; (पुण्यस्य योगः) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; करणम्

• मानुष्यं: human state/birth
• मानुष्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• लब्धवान्: having obtained
• लब्धवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √लभ् (धातु) + क्त (लब्ध) + वत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि-भूतकृदन्त (perfective possessive: ‘having obtained’)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तृतीये: in the third
• तृतीये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with मासि)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे

• सम्प्राप्ते: when (it) had arrived
• सम्प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √प्राप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute): ‘when (it) had arrived’

• गन्धर्वनगरे: in the city of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वनगरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (गन्धर्वाणां नगरम्) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; देशाधिकरणे

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (contextually predicative/elliptic)

Speaker

A departing soul (preta) narrating its journey; teaching context framed within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Human birth is attained through great puṇya; recognition of its rarity is itself a moral awakening.

Vedantic Theme: Durlabha-mānuṣya-janma (rarity of human embodiment) as the privileged field for sādhanā; karma as the allocator of births and experiences.

Application: Use human life intentionally for dharma and liberation-oriented practice; cultivate gratitude and urgency rather than complacency.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: praise of human birth as rare and potent for sādhanā (common purāṇic motif); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: month-wise stations including gandharva-associated realms (contextual parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Gandharvas

FAQs

What is the importance of punya (merit) in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse states that a strong store of merit (puṇya-yoga) directly shapes the soul’s post-death experience, granting a favorable state and access to auspicious realms.

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

It presents the journey as time-marked (here, the third month) and realm-based, indicating progressive stations the subtle being reaches according to its karmic balance.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate merit through dharmic living and supportive rites for ancestors; the teaching emphasizes that ethical actions have tangible consequences for one’s post-death trajectory.