Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

तदैव हृदि संमूढस्ताडितो भाषते भटैः / वैतरण्याः परतटे भुङ्क्ते दत्तं घटादिकम्

Transliteration

tadaiva hṛdi saṃmūḍhastāḍito bhāṣate bhaṭaiḥ / vaitaraṇyāḥ parataṭe bhuṅkte dattaṃ ghaṭādikam

Translation

ครั้นแล้วเขาผู้หลงงงในดวงใจ ถูกเหล่าทหาร (ยมทูต) ตีจนต้องเอ่ยวาจา ณ ฝั่งโน้นแห่งแม่น้ำไวตระณี เขาได้เสวยสิ่งที่ผู้คนอุทิศให้ เช่น น้ำในหม้อและเครื่องบูชาอื่นๆ

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), एकवचन (sg)

• संमूढः: bewildered/confounded
• संमूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मुह् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg)

• ताडितः: beaten/struck
• ताडितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताड् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भाषते: speaks
• भाषते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg)

• भटैः: by the guards/soldiers
• भटैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), बहुवचन (pl)

• वैतरण्याः: of the Vaitaraṇī (river)
• वैतरण्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem.), षष्ठी (Gen. 6), एकवचन (sg)

• परतटे: on the far bank
• परतटे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: 'far/other bank'), पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), एकवचन (sg)

• भुङ्क्ते: enjoys/experiences (eats)
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg)

• दत्तम्: what was given (as gift)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg)

• घटादिकम्: pots and the like
• घटादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (ādi-compound: 'pot etc.'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual gifts and śrāddha offerings materially assist the departed in the afterlife geography; without them, the journey is harsher.

Vedantic Theme: Subtle continuity of karma and saṃskāra beyond death; adṛṣṭa (unseen merit) manifests as experienced support in the preta’s realm.

Application: Perform prescribed post-death offerings (water, vessels, food) with care; ensure śrāddha-related dāna is not neglected.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: riverbank/crossing

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Vaitaraṇī crossing descriptions and the role of udaka/dāna as support; Garuda Purana: bhata (Yama’s attendants) driving the soul; preta’s dependence on offerings

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī
• Yama's attendants (bhaṭas)

FAQs

What is the importance of the Vaitaraṇī in the Garuda Purana?

This verse places the departed near the Vaitaraṇī and indicates that post-death rites and offerings can become support on the far bank, making the river a key threshold in the preta’s journey.

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

It depicts a frightened, confused preta being driven by Yama’s attendants and then reaching the Vaitaraṇī’s far bank, where the benefits of given offerings (like water-pot gifts and related rites) are experienced.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform śrāddha and related dāna with sincerity—especially water/anna-related offerings—remembering they are intended as spiritual support for the departed and as a discipline of compassion and dharma for the living.