Shloka 30

Devanagari script

यमं विनिर्ममे पृष्ठादष्टवर्षादनन्तरम् / तद्भार्यां शामलां देवीं तस्मादेव महाप्रभुः

Transliteration

yamaṃ vinirmame pṛṣṭhādaṣṭavarṣādanantaram / tadbhāryāṃ śāmalāṃ devīṃ tasmādeva mahāprabhuḥ

Translation

पृष्ठाद् यमं विनिर्ममे महाप्रभुरष्टवर्षादनन्तरम्; तद्भार्यां शामलां देवीं तस्मादेव ततः सृजत्।

Word by Word

• यमम्: Yama
• यमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विनिर्ममे: created
• विनिर्ममे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निर्मा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पृष्ठात्: from the back
• पृष्ठात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अष्ट-वर्षात्: after/from eight years
• अष्ट-वर्षात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (from/after eight years)

• अनन्तरम्: afterwards
• अनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तद्-भार्याम्: his wife
• तद्-भार्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘तस्य भार्या’ (his wife)

• शामलाम्: dark-complexioned
• शामलाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शामला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• देवीम्: goddess/lady
• देवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from him/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (from him/from that)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• महाप्रभुः: the great Lord
• महाप्रभुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महान् प्रभुः’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Yama as divinely instituted regulator of karmic consequence; cosmic order includes moral adjudication.

Vedantic Theme: Ṛta/dharma as an aspect of Īśvara’s governance; karma-phala dispensation within saṃsāra.

Application: Live with ethical restraint and truthfulness, remembering accountability beyond death.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: mythic realm-seat

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa (Yama, yamadūtas, judgment narratives—elsewhere in the text)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Shamala Devi
• Mahaprabhu (the Great Lord)

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s creation in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames Yama as a deliberately established cosmic authority—created by the Great Lord—to administer death and moral order (dharma) in the afterlife.

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

By introducing Yama and his divine consort, the text signals the structured governance behind post-death judgment—implying the soul’s journey is overseen by appointed divine powers rather than random fate.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with accountability: actions have consequences, and dharmic conduct is emphasized because the afterlife order is portrayed as principled and supervised.