Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

पुरमध्यप्रवेशे तु चित्रगुप्तस्य वै गृहम् / पञ्चविंशतिसंख्यानां योजनानां सुविस्तरम्

Transliteration

puramadhyapraveśe tu citraguptasya vai gṛham / pañcaviṃśatisaṃkhyānāṃ yojanānāṃ suvistaram

Translation

เมื่อเข้าสู่ใจกลางนคร ณ ทางเข้ากลางเมืองนั้น มีเรือนของจิตรคุปต์ตั้งอยู่จริง ๆ กว้างใหญ่แผ่ไปถึงยี่สิบห้าโยชน์

Word by Word

• पुरमध्यप्रवेशे: at the entrance to the middle of the city
• पुरमध्यप्रवेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—(पुरस्य मध्ये प्रवेशः) सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अर्थतः 'नगर-मध्य-प्रवेशे')

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: contrast/emphasis)

• चित्रगुप्तस्य: of Chitragupta
• चित्रगुप्तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रगुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• गृहम्: the house
• गृहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/कर्ता or 2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; अत्र विशेष्यं (वर्ण्यते)

• पञ्चविंशतिसंख्यानाम्: of the measure numbering twenty-five
• पञ्चविंशतिसंख्यानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः—(पञ्चविंशतिः संख्या येषाम्) तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (योजनानाम्)

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• सुविस्तरम्: very extensive
• सुविस्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गृहम्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karma is meticulously accounted for; moral causality is not vague but administered with comprehensive record-keeping.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati under Īśvara; the inevitability of results (phala) following action (karma).

Application: Live with accountability: keep self-audit of actions, speech, and intention; practice daily reflection (svādhyāya) and confession/rectification.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: administrative palace/record-office

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Chitragupta as the divine scribe who maintains records of jīvas’ deeds (adjacent verses describing his house and function)

Characters & Entities

• Chitragupta

FAQs

What is the importance of Chitragupta’s house in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights Chitragupta’s central administrative role in Yama’s realm: the vast “house” symbolizes the comprehensive record-keeping of beings’ deeds that underlies post-death judgment.

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

By placing Chitragupta’s office at the city’s central entry, the text implies that the soul’s journey in Yama’s domain proceeds through verification of karma—deeds are examined before consequences, destinations, or punishments are assigned.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with accountability: treat actions, speech, and intentions as “recorded” through karma, and align daily conduct with dharma to reduce harmful consequences and cultivate beneficial outcomes.