Shloka 25

Dāna for the Preta: Supreme Gifts, Yama’s Pacification, and Viṣṇu-Smaraṇa at the Time of Death

Devanagari script

कुठारो मुसलो दण्डः खड्गश्च च्छुरिका तथा / एतानि यमहस्तेषु दृश्यानि पापकर्मिणाम्

Transliteration

kuṭhāro musalo daṇḍaḥ khaḍgaśca cchurikā tathā / etāni yamahasteṣu dṛśyāni pāpakarmiṇām

Translation

ขวาน สาก ไม้เท้า ดาบ และมีด—สิ่งเหล่านี้ปรากฏในมือของยมะ (และทูตของยมะ) เพื่อจัดการผู้กระทำบาป

Word by Word

• kuṭhāraḥ: axe
• kuṭhāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• musalaḥ: pestle/club
• musalaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: musala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• daṇḍaḥ: staff/rod
• daṇḍaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• khaḍgaḥ: sword
• khaḍgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• cchurikā: knife/dagger
• cchurikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cchurikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/particle)

• etāni: these
• etāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• yama-hasteṣu: in Yama's hands
• yama-hasteṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘yamasya hastāḥ’

• dṛśyāni: seen/visible
• dṛśyāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्, धातु) + ya (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (etāni)

• pāpa-karmiṇām: of evil-doers/sinners
• pāpa-karmiṇām: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘pāpaṃ karma yeṣām/kurvanti’ (pāpakarmī)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sin (pāpa) invites punitive karmic enforcement; Yama’s instruments represent inevitable consequence.

Vedantic Theme: Moral causality (karma) operating through cosmic order (ṛta/dharma).

Application: Use the imagery as a restraint (saṃyama): avoid हिंसा, चोरी, असत्य, and other pāpa-karmas; cultivate confession and corrective action early.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: judicial arena (cosmic court)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of Yamadūtas, their implements, and punishments for pāpa

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s weapons in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses concrete symbols (axe, staff, sword, knife) to convey that moral actions have definite consequences, and that Yama’s realm enforces karmic justice for sinful conduct.

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

By pointing to Yama’s punitive instruments, it situates the post-death journey within a moral framework: souls burdened with pāpa (sin) encounter Yama’s adjudication and corrective punishments in the afterlife.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat actions as accountable—avoid harmful deeds, cultivate self-restraint and dharma, and adopt ethical living so that one’s karmic burden does not lead toward suffering in Yama’s domain.