Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सप्तदश दिनान्येको वायुमार्गे विकृष्यते / अष्टादशे त्वहोरात्रे पूर्वं याम्यपुरं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

saptadaśa dinānyeko vāyumārge vikṛṣyate / aṣṭādaśe tvahorātre pūrvaṃ yāmyapuraṃ vrajet

Translation

ตลอดสิบเจ็ดวัน วิญญาณผู้เดียวดายถูกลากไปตามทางแห่งลม; ครั้นถึงวันและคืนที่สิบแปด เขาจึงก้าวต่อไปสู่เมืองยม คือ ยมปุรี.

Word by Word

• सप्तदश: seventeen
• सप्तदश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; ‘दिनानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दिनानि: days
• दिनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (the one person)

• वायुमार्गे: on the path of wind (air-route)
• वायुमार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वायोः मार्गः)

• विकृष्यते: is dragged/pulled along
• विकृष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• अष्टादशे: on the eighteenth (day)
• अष्टादशे: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘(दिने)’ इत्यर्थे (on the eighteenth)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• अहोरात्रे: in the day and night (within a day-night period)
• अहोरात्रे: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहः + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (day-and-night)

• पूर्वम्: first/beforehand
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: beforehand/first)

• याम्यपुरम्: the city of Yama
• याम्यपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (Yama-related city)

• व्रजेत्: would go/should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Post-mortem movement is not free choice but karmically compelled; the jīva is carried to adjudication.

Vedantic Theme: Jīva’s continuity beyond death; subtle-body journey governed by karma and cosmic law (ṛta/dharma).

Application: Use the limited time of life for dharma and devotion; support the departed through prescribed rites and remembrance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: transit route and destination city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: day-counted stages of the preta’s journey and stations before Yama’s city (common structure across chapters)

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of the 'wind-path' (vāyu-mārga) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames an early stage of the departed being propelled/dragged through a subtle route associated with vāyu, indicating a transitional passage before reaching Yama’s jurisdiction.

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

It gives a specific time-marker: seventeen days of being drawn along the vāyu-mārga, followed by arrival at Yāmyapura on the eighteenth day-night, presenting the journey as sequential and governed by cosmic order.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It supports the traditional emphasis on timely post-death rites and remembrance, encouraging families to perform prescribed observances with discipline while reflecting on impermanence and ethical living.