Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 123

Āśauca, Daśāha Piṇḍa-Rites, Vṛṣotsarga, Sāpiṇḍīkaraṇa, and the Yama-mārga

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

व्रजतस्तत्र मार्गे तु तत्र वैतरणी शुभा / शतयोजनविस्तीर्णा पूयशोणितसंकुला

Transliteration

vrajatastatra mārge tu tatra vaitaraṇī śubhā / śatayojanavistīrṇā pūyaśoṇitasaṃkulā

Translation

Habang naglalakbay sa landas na iyon, naroon ang ilog na Vaitaraṇī—tinatawag na ‘mapalad’ sa pangalan—na umaabot sa lawak na sandaang yojana, siksik sa nana at dugo.

Word by Word

• व्रजतः: of the one going
• व्रजतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vraj (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of one who is going’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वैतरणी: the Vaitaraṇī (river)
• वैतरणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaitaraṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘वैतरणी’ इति विशेषण

• शतयोजनविस्तीर्णा: spread over a hundred yojanas
• शतयोजनविस्तीर्णा: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + yojana (प्रातिपदिक) + vistīrṇa (√stṛ + क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समास (śatayojanena vistīrṇā), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘वैतरणी’ इति विशेषण; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• पूयशोणितसंकुला: filled with pus and blood
• पूयशोणितसंकुला: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūya (प्रातिपदिक) + śoṇita (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (pūyaśoṇitena saṃkulā), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘वैतरणी’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The afterlife path contains experiential ‘landscapes’ shaped by karma; pāpa manifests as terrifying, impure obstacles.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala as experiential reality; the subtle becomes grossly perceived in the post-mortem state.

Application: Avoid harmful actions and cultivate purification (daana, vrata, bhakti) so the ‘crossings’ of life and death are not dreadful.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: river/threshold

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Vaitaraṇī description and daana of cow as means of crossing (2.5.124–126); Garuda Purana: multiple naraka/river/threshold descriptions as karma-visions

Characters & Entities

• Vaitarani

FAQs

What is the importance of the Vaitaraṇī river in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights Vaitaraṇī as a major threshold on the post-death route—an intensely impure and terrifying river that symbolizes the consequences of sin and the suffering faced by the unprepared preta.

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

It portrays the onward journey as a structured route with specific landmarks; Vaitaraṇī appears on the way as a daunting passage that the departing being must confront, reflecting karmic burden and post-mortem ordeals.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with restraint and ethical discipline, and perform prescribed śrāddha/antyeṣṭi duties sincerely—so the departed is supported on the difficult path described in the Preta Kanda.