Shloka 133

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

गृहं गत्वा स आत्मानं कृतकृत्यममन्यत / कालेन निधनं प्राप्तो नीतो वैवस्वतानुगैः

Transliteration

gṛhaṃ gatvā sa ātmānaṃ kṛtakṛtyamamanyata / kālena nidhanaṃ prāpto nīto vaivasvatānugaiḥ

Translation

Setelah pulang ke rumah, dia menyangka dirinya telah menyempurnakan segala kewajipan. Dengan berlalunya waktu, dia menemui ajal, lalu dibawa pergi oleh para pengiring Vaivasvata (Yama).

Word by Word

• गृहं: home
• गृहं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सर्वनाम)

• आत्मानं: himself / the self
• आत्मानं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृतकृत्यं: one who has accomplished what should be done
• कृतकृत्यं: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त) + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (आत्मानम्)

• अमन्यत: thought / considered
• अमन्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कालेन: by time / in course of time
• कालेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन

• निधनं: death
• निधनं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having reached / having met (death)
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (प्राप्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘प्राप्तः’ = ‘reached/attained’

• नीतः: was led
• नीतः: Kriya (Passive predicate/कर्मणि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) + क्त (नीत)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वैवस्वतानुगैः: by the attendants of Vaivasvata (Yama)
• वैवस्वतानुगैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘वैवस्वतस्य अनुगाः’ (यमस्य अनुचराः)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even one who feels ‘kṛtakṛtya’ is still subject to kāla and must face karmic adjudication after death.

Vedantic Theme: Anityatā of embodied life; kāla as īśvara-śakti; jīva’s onward journey shaped by karma.

Application: Cultivate daily remembrance of death (maraṇa-smṛti), complete duties without pride, and prepare through dharma and devotion rather than complacency.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: household; transitional road

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama-dūta leading the departed; descriptions of the road to Yamaloka and karmic accounting (general parallel motifs)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Vaivasvata
• Yamadutas

FAQs

What is the importance of Kāla (time) in the Garuda Purana’s description of death?

This verse frames death as arriving “in due course” (kālena), emphasizing that embodied life ends under the governance of Kāla, after which Yama’s order takes charge of the departed.

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

It states that once death is met, the person is “led away” by Vaivasvata’s attendants—indicating the post-death transition where Yamadūtas escort the jīva toward Yama’s domain for further proceedings.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Do not assume worldly tasks are ever fully “finished”; live with dharma and preparedness—ethical conduct, remembrance of mortality, and timely performance of duties—since death can arrive with time and the after-death journey follows.