Shloka 10

Yama-mārga (Adhvan) and the Courts of Yama: Vaivasvatī and Chitragupta

Devanagari script

रुदन्ति दारुणं केचित् केचिद्द्रोहं वदन्ति च / आत्मकर्मकृतैर्देषैः पच्यमाना मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

rudanti dāruṇaṃ kecit keciddrohaṃ vadanti ca / ātmakarmakṛtairdeṣaiḥ pacyamānā muhurmuhuḥ

Translation

บางพวกคร่ำครวญอย่างแสนสาหัส บางพวกตะโกนกล่าวถึงการทรยศและคดโกง; ในแดนที่กรรมของตนเองก่อขึ้น เขาทั้งหลายถูกเผาผลาญและทรมานซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า।

Word by Word

• रुदन्ति: they weep
• रुदन्ति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• दारुणम्: bitterly/terribly
• दारुणम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन-द्वितीया (adverbial accusative)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (some persons)

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• द्रोहम्: betrayal/hostility
• द्रोहम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• वदन्ति: they speak
• वदन्ति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction)

• आत्मकर्मकृतैः: by (their) own deeds done by themselves
• आत्मकर्मकृतैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: समास: आत्मना कृतं कर्म (self-done deeds) इति; तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग-समर्थ (agreeing with देषैः)

• देषैः: by torments/pains
• देषैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पच्यमानाः: being cooked/tormented
• पच्यमानाः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पच् (धातु) + यमान (शानच्/मान)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (Present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: क्रियाविशेषण (Frequency)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (Adverb of time)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: क्रियाविशेषण (Frequency)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Suffering is self-generated: one is tormented in environments constructed by one’s own actions; blaming others is futile.

Vedantic Theme: Kartṛtva-bhoktṛtva (doership/enjoyership) binds; repeated ‘pacyamāna’ signals saṃsāric recurrence until insight and purification.

Application: Replace blame with accountability; practice confession, restitution, and ethical reform; cultivate devotion and detachment to weaken harmful karmic patterns.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: region/zone

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated ‘pacyate’/torment imagery in naraka and yamamārga descriptions; Narrative frame of instruction to Garuḍa: consequences of deeds and the psychology of the departed

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of karma-created suffering in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that the after-death torments are not random; the soul experiences repeated distress in conditions shaped by its own harmful actions (ātma-karma-kṛta).

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

It depicts pretas undergoing recurring anguish—crying and lamenting—while passing through punitive regions associated with Yama’s domain, where the fruits of their deeds become directly experienced.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid betrayal and harmful conduct (droha), practice ethical restraint, and perform dharmic living and death-related duties so one does not create causes for repeated suffering.