Shloka 8
Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite
चतुर्विधैः प्राणिगणैर्दृष्टा व्याप्ता महानदी / तरन्ति गोप्रदानेन त्वन्यथा च पतन्ति ते
caturvidhaiḥ prāṇigaṇairdṛṣṭā vyāptā mahānadī / taranti gopradānena tvanyathā ca patanti te
มหานทีนั้นปรากฏและแน่นขนัดด้วยสัตว์สี่จำพวก ข้ามได้ด้วยการถวายโคทาน (ทานโค) มิฉะนั้นพวกเขาย่อมตกลงไปในสายน้ำนั้น
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Specific punya (gift of a cow) becomes a concrete aid in the afterlife; absence of merit leads to falling into the river.
Vedantic Theme: Karmaphala operates with precise correspondences; dana as purifier and support for the jiva’s passage.
Application: Perform go-dana (or sincere equivalent charity per capacity and dharmic guidance) and cultivate generosity to accrue supportive punya.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: river
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Vaitarani river crossing aided by dana; Garuda Purana: dana-mahatmya sections praising go-dana
FAQs
This verse states that go-dāna functions as a decisive support for the departed to safely cross the terrifying “great river” on the post-death route; without that merit/support, the being is said to fall.
It depicts a perilous transitional passage marked by a vast river crowded with many classes of beings; successful passage depends on dhārmic merit, here highlighted through the specific rite of cow-gifting.
Perform charity and support sacred/ethical giving in memory of the departed (or during one’s life), treating dāna as a discipline of compassion and responsibility rather than a mere transaction.