Shloka 43

The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths

Devanagari script

प्रिचाल्यन्ते ततः प्राणा याम्यैर्निकटवर्तिभिः / बीभत्सं तु तदा रूपं प्राणैः कण्ठगतैर्भवेत्

Transliteration

pricālyante tataḥ prāṇā yāmyairnikaṭavartibhiḥ / bībhatsaṃ tu tadā rūpaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṇṭhagatairbhavet

Translation

แล้วปราณทั้งหลายถูกเขย่าและผลักดันโดยทูตแห่งยมะที่ยืนอยู่ใกล้; ครั้นปราณขึ้นถึงลำคอ รูปลักษณ์ย่อมกลายเป็นน่าสะพรึงกลัว

Word by Word

• प्रिचाल्यन्ते: are driven/shaken
• प्रिचाल्यन्ते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रि+चाल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद (कर्मणि/Passive sense) — are driven/are shaken (reading uncertain; likely प्रचाल्यन्ते from प्र+चाल्)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb) — then

• प्राणाः: vital breaths
• प्राणाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — vital breaths

• याम्यैः: by Yama’s (agents)
• याम्यैः: Karana (Agent/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — by Yama’s (messengers)

• निकटवर्तिभिः: by those nearby
• निकटवर्तिभिः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निकट (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — by those standing near

• बीभत्सम्: horrible
• बीभत्सम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बीभत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — dreadful/repulsive

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

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• रूपम्: appearance
• रूपम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — form/appearance

• प्राणैः: by the breaths
• प्राणैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — by the breaths

• कण्ठगतैः: having reached the throat
• कण्ठगतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — by (breaths) that have gone to the throat

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — would be

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Yama’s proximity signifies moral order; prāṇa’s agitation reflects the jīva being compelled toward its karmic path.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-niyati under cosmic governance (ṛta/dharma); the subtle body is drawn onward when prāṇa disengages.

Application: Live so that the approach of Yama’s order is met without panic—through confession, restitution, and sustained spiritual practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: liminal

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yamadūtas’ arrival, prāṇa being ‘pulled/shaken’, and the ghastly signs of prāṇotkrānti

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadutas

FAQs

What is the importance of Yamadutas in the Garuda Purana’s death narrative?

This verse portrays Yamadūtas as the immediate enforcers of Yama’s order at the time of death, agitating the prāṇa and initiating the transition from embodied life toward the post-death journey.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul at the time of dying?

It describes the critical threshold when prāṇa moves upward to the throat—an indicator of imminent departure—while Yama’s attendants are said to be near, marking the beginning of separation from the physical body.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages mindful living and dharmic conduct so the dying process is approached with less fear, and it supports timely performance of death-related rites and remembrance of the Divine at life’s end.