Shloka 82

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

त्वग्गृहीताहिवत्तार्क्ष्य गृहीतो यमकिङ्करैः / तस्मिन्मार्गे व्रजत्येको गृहीत इव मर्कटः

Transliteration

tvaggṛhītāhivattārkṣya gṛhīto yamakiṅkaraiḥ / tasminmārge vrajatyeko gṛhīta iva markaṭaḥ

Translation

హే తార్క్ష్య (గరుడా)! యమదూతలు అతనిని పట్టుకుంటారు; అతడు ఆ మార్గంలో ఒంటరిగా సాగుతాడు—చర్మం పట్టి లాగబడే పాములా, పట్టుబడిన కోతిలా బంధింపబడినవాడై.

Word by Word

• त्वक्: skin
• त्वक्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine, nominative/accusative, singular)

• गृहीत: seized, held
• गृहीत: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (past passive participle, masculine, nominative, singular)

• अहि: snake
• अहि: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• वत्: like, as
• वत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• तार्क्ष्य: O Tārkṣya (Garuda)
• तार्क्ष्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (masculine, vocative, singular)

• गृहीतः: is seized
• गृहीतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (past passive participle, masculine, nominative, singular)

• यम: of Yama
• यम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine, genitive, singular)

• किङ्करैः: by the servants
• किङ्करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (pronoun, locative, singular)

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masculine, locative, singular)

• व्रजति: goes
• व्रजति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

• एकः: alone
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• गृहीतः: seized
• गृहीतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (past passive participle, masculine, nominative, singular)

• इव: as if, like
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• मर्कटः: a monkey
• मर्कटः: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The jīva is compelled by karmic force and Yama’s agents; death strips autonomy and companionship.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandhana and the jīva’s dependence under adṛṣṭa; contrast between embodied pride and post-mortem powerlessness.

Application: Cultivate dharma and remembrance of Hari; reduce cruelty and adharmic acts that lead to fearful post-death experiences.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: path/route

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of Yamadūtas and the solitary journey of the preta (adjacent verses in 2.5); Garuda Purana: Yama-mārga hardships and karmic compulsion motifs across Pretakalpa chapters

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Tarkshya)
• Yama
• Yamakingkaras (Yama’s attendants)

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s attendants (Yamakingkaras) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse portrays them as the enforcers of karmic law who physically restrain and drive the departed along the post-death route, emphasizing that the soul cannot bargain with consequences.

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

It stresses that the departed travels alone on Yama’s path and is forcibly controlled—using vivid similes (snake held by skin, monkey seized) to convey loss of autonomy after death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with restraint and dharma so the after-death passage is not one of terror and compulsion; support ethical conduct and, where practiced, perform proper śrāddha/antyeṣṭi rites for the departed.