Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

याम्यनैरृतयोर्मध्ये पुरं वैवस्वतस्य तु / सर्वं वज्रमयं दिव्यमभेद्यं तत् सुरासुरैः

Transliteration

yāmyanairṛtayormadhye puraṃ vaivasvatasya tu / sarvaṃ vajramayaṃ divyamabhedyaṃ tat surāsuraiḥ

Translation

ระหว่างทิศยามยะ (ทิศใต้) กับทิศไนฤตะ (ทิศตะวันตกเฉียงใต้) มีนครของไววัสวตะ (ยม) ตั้งอยู่ นครนั้นเป็นวชรมยอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ ทั้งเทวะและอสูรก็มิอาจทำลายได้

Word by Word

• याम्यनैरृतयोः: of the southern and south-western (regions)
• याम्यनैरृतयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य-नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: याम्य + नैरृत)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (याम्यश्च नैरृतश्च)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (वर्ण्य-वस्तु)

• वैवस्वतस्य: of Vaivasvata (Yama)
• वैवस्वतस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘वैवस्वत’ = यम (Vivasvat’s son)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• सर्वम्: entire; all
• सर्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘पुरम्’)

• वज्रमयम्: made of diamond/adamant
• वज्रमयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-मय (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: वज्र + मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वज्रस्य मयम् = made of adamant)

• दिव्यम्: divine; splendid
• दिव्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अभेद्यम्: unbreakable; impenetrable
• अभेद्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-भेद्य (प्रातिपदिक; भिद् धातु + यत्, नञ्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (potential/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भेदयितुं न शक्यम्’

• तत्: that (city)
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘तत् (पुरम्)’

• सुरासुरैः: by gods and demons
• सुरासुरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-असुर (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: सुर + असुर)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Yama’s realm is divinely established and unassailable; moral law (dharma) is not negotiable even for gods/asuras.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-niyati: the inexorability of cosmic order; karma operates within an unbreakable governance structure.

Application: Internalize accountability: power, status, or cleverness cannot ‘break’ moral consequence; choose dharma proactively.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: city/fortress

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama’s sabhā/pura descriptions and directional cosmography; Garuda Purana: accounts of Yama’s court and messengers (Yamadūtas)

Characters & Entities

• Yama (Vaivasvata)
• Nirṛti
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s city (Vaivasvata-pura) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights Vaivasvata-pura as a fixed, divinely protected seat of Yama’s administration, emphasizing the inevitability and order of post-death judgment in the Purana’s afterlife framework.

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

By locating Yama’s city in the southern/south‑western quarters and describing it as impenetrable, the verse frames Yama’s realm as a definitive destination in the soul’s post-mortem journey where karmic accountability is enforced.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages ethical living and timely performance of death rites (e.g., śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna) by reminding practitioners that karmic law is firm and not subject to worldly power or negotiation.