Shloka 7

The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds

Devanagari script

किङ्करा ऊचुः / क्व धनं क्व सुता जाया क्व गृहं क्व त्वमीदृशः / स्वकर्मोपार्जितं भुङ्क्ष्व चिरं गच्छ महापथे

Transliteration

kiṅkarā ūcuḥ / kva dhanaṃ kva sutā jāyā kva gṛhaṃ kva tvamīdṛśaḥ / svakarmopārjitaṃ bhuṅkṣva ciraṃ gaccha mahāpathe

Translation

కింకరులు అన్నారు—ఇప్పుడు నీ ధనం ఎక్కడ? కుమారులు, భార్య ఎక్కడ? ఇల్లు ఎక్కడ, ఈ స్థితిలో నీవెవరు? నీ స్వకర్మతో సంపాదించిన ఫలమే అనుభవించు; మహామార్గంలో దీర్ఘంగా సాగిపో.

Word by Word

• किङ्कराः: the servants (messengers)
• किङ्कराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक देश/अवस्था-बोधक अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where?)

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय

• सुताः: sons
• सुताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• जाया: wife
• जाया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ईदृशः: such (like this)
• ईदृशः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (such as this)

• स्व-कर्म-उपार्जितम्: earned by one’s own deeds
• स्व-कर्म-उपार्जितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + उपार्जित (कृदन्त; उप-आर्ज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कृदन्त (क्त) ‘उपार्जित’; तत्पुरुषसमास (स्वकर्मणा उपार्जितम्)

• भुङ्क्ष्व: enjoy/consume
• भुङ्क्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: for long)

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महापथे: on the great road
• महापथे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (महान् पन्थाः)

Speaker

Yama's attendants (Kiṅkaras/Yamadūtas)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Only svakarma accompanies the jīva; wealth, family, and home do not follow beyond death.

Vedantic Theme: कर्मानुबन्ध (karmic continuity) and de-identification from nāma-rūpa; the jīva reaps its own actions.

Application: Live with awareness that actions, not possessions, determine future experience; cultivate dharma, charity, and devotion as ‘true wealth’.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: road/path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated refrain ‘svakṛtaṃ bhujyate’ (one experiences one’s own deeds); mahāpatha descriptions and Yama-dūta admonitions

Characters & Entities

• Kiṅkaras
• Yamadūtas
• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of karma (svakarma) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that after death, wealth, family, and home cannot accompany the departed; only the results of one’s own deeds must be experienced.

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

Through the Kiṅkaras’ command to “go on the great road (mahāpatha),” it depicts the departed being driven onward into the post-death journey where karmic consequences unfold.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate ethical conduct and charity, and practice detachment—because status and possessions end at death, while actions and their consequences remain.