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

Fahamilah daripadaku bagaimana perjalanan menuju kediaman Vaivasvata (Yama) berlaku. Sejurus selepas upacara śrāvaṇa yang dilakukan pada hari ketiga belas, si yang telah meninggal itu pun meneruskan perjalanannya.

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.