Shloka 84

Śrāddha as Trans-realm Nourishment; Pitṛ-Conveyance; Piṇḍa-born Body and the ātivāhika; Bhakti-based Release

Devanagari script

वासांसि जीर्णानि यथा विहाय नवानि गृह्णाति नरोपराणि / तथा शरीराणि विहाय जीर्णान्यन्यानि संयाति नवानि देही

Transliteration

vāsāṃsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naroparāṇi / tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇānyanyāni saṃyāti navāni dehī

Translation

ดุจมนุษย์ละทิ้งอาภรณ์ที่เก่าแล้วรับเอาอาภรณ์ใหม่ ฉันนั้นแล ผู้มีชีวาย่อมละกายที่คร่ำคร่า แล้วไปสู่กายอื่นอันใหม่.

Word by Word

• वासांसि: garments
• वासांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• जीर्णानि: worn-out
• जीर्णानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जॄ (धातु) + क्त (जीर्ण)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘वासांसि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + √हा (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• नवानि: new
• नवानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘(वासांसि)’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गृह्णाति: takes
• गृह्णाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु) + लट्
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपराणि: other (ones)
• अपराणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘नवानि (वासांसि)’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Comparison/तथा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यप्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• शरीराणि: bodies
• शरीराणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + √हा (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• जीर्णानि: worn-out
• जीर्णानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जॄ (धातु) + क्त (जीर्ण)
• Form: भूतकृत्, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘शरीराणि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘(शरीराणि)’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• संयाति: goes to/attains
• संयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √या (धातु) + लट्
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नवानि: new
• नवानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘(शरीराणि)’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देही: the embodied (self)
• देही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The embodied self discards worn-out bodies and takes new ones, like changing garments; death is a transition of upādhi, not annihilation of the self.

Vedantic Theme: Nityatva of ātman/jīva amid anityatva of bodies; vairāgya through insight into deha-as-vastra.

Application: Practice detachment and fearlessness regarding bodily change; prioritize dharma and devotion/knowledge over bodily identification.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated transmigration teachings in Pretakalpa and mokṣa-oriented passages

Characters & Entities

• Dehī (embodied soul)

FAQs

What is the importance of rebirth (saṃsāra) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames death as a transition rather than annihilation: the dehī discards an old body and takes another, supporting the Purana’s broader guidance on after-death states and right living (dharma).

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

It uses the garment metaphor to state that the soul continues after bodily death and moves on to another embodiment, aligning with the Garuda Purana’s description of post-mortem continuity and karmic progression.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Remembering that the self is not the perishing body encourages ethical conduct, reduced fear of death, and a focus on karma, compassion, and dharmic duties.