Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

केचिद्गुडमयैः पाकैस्तैलपाकैस्तथा परे / पीड्यन्ते यमदूतैश्च पापिष्ठाः सुभृशं नराः

Transliteration

kecidguḍamayaiḥ pākaistailapākaistathā pare / pīḍyante yamadūtaiśca pāpiṣṭhāḥ subhṛśaṃ narāḥ

Translation

คนบาปหนักบางพวกถูกต้มเคี่ยวในหม้อกวนกากน้ำตาลที่หลอมละลาย บางพวกถูกต้มในน้ำมัน; ดังนี้ทูตแห่งยมราชทรมานเขาอย่างแสนสาหัส।

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (persons)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क-चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• गुडमयैः: made of jaggery
• गुडमयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुड-मय (प्रातिपदिक; गुड + मय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (instrumental plural)

• पाकैः: by cookings/boilings
• पाकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• तैलपाकैः: by oil-boilings
• तैलपाकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल-पाक (प्रातिपदिक; तैल + पाक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘others’ (substantive adjective)

• पीड्यन्ते: are tormented
• पीड्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• यमदूतैः: by Yama’s messengers
• यमदूतैः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-दूत (प्रातिपदिक; यम + दूत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

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

• पापिष्ठाः: most sinful
• पापिष्ठाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + इष्ठन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अतिशयार्थक-विशेषण (superlative)

• सुभृशम्: excessively
• सुभृशम्: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुभृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Severe pāpa yields proportionate, embodied suffering administered through karmic law.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and moral causality within saṃsāra; fear as a spur toward vairāgya and dharma.

Application: Avoid cruelty, exploitation, and adharma; cultivate restraint, truthfulness, and charity to prevent pāpa accumulation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: otherworldly realm of judgment and punishment

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: catalogues of narakas and yamadūta punishments (adjacent chapters 2.33–2.34); Garuda Purana: discussions on dāna as mitigation following naraka descriptions

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadūtas

FAQs

What is the importance of punishments described in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses vivid punishments (boiling in jaggery or oil) to stress that severe wrongdoing brings severe consequences under Yama’s law, reinforcing accountability through karma.

How does this verse explain the soul’s path after death?

It situates the post-death journey within Yama’s judicial realm, where Yamadūtas administer karmic results; the soul’s experiences there reflect the intensity of its sins.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat the imagery as an ethical warning: avoid harmful actions, cultivate restraint and dharma, and live with awareness that choices have consequences beyond immediate life.