Shloka 2

The Preta’s Staged Journey to Yama’s City: Monthly Śrāddha Supports, Vaitaraṇī Crossing, and the Witnesses of Deeds

Devanagari script

सप्तदश दिनान्येको वायुमार्गे विकृष्यते / अष्टादशे त्वहोरात्रे पूर्वं याम्यपुरं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

saptadaśa dinānyeko vāyumārge vikṛṣyate / aṣṭādaśe tvahorātre pūrvaṃ yāmyapuraṃ vrajet

Translation

سترہ دن تک وہ تنہا روح ہوا کے راستے میں گھسیٹی جاتی ہے؛ اور اٹھارہویں دن رات وہ آگے بڑھ کر یم پوری پہنچتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• सप्तदश: seventeen
• सप्तदश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; ‘दिनानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दिनानि: days
• दिनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (the one person)

• वायुमार्गे: on the path of wind (air-route)
• वायुमार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वायोः मार्गः)

• विकृष्यते: is dragged/pulled along
• विकृष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• अष्टादशे: on the eighteenth (day)
• अष्टादशे: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘(दिने)’ इत्यर्थे (on the eighteenth)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• अहोरात्रे: in the day and night (within a day-night period)
• अहोरात्रे: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहः + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (day-and-night)

• पूर्वम्: first/beforehand
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: beforehand/first)

• याम्यपुरम्: the city of Yama
• याम्यपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (Yama-related city)

• व्रजेत्: would go/should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Post-mortem movement is not free choice but karmically compelled; the jīva is carried to adjudication.

Vedantic Theme: Jīva’s continuity beyond death; subtle-body journey governed by karma and cosmic law (ṛta/dharma).

Application: Use the limited time of life for dharma and devotion; support the departed through prescribed rites and remembrance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: transit route and destination city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: day-counted stages of the preta’s journey and stations before Yama’s city (common structure across chapters)

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of the 'wind-path' (vāyu-mārga) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames an early stage of the departed being propelled/dragged through a subtle route associated with vāyu, indicating a transitional passage before reaching Yama’s jurisdiction.

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

It gives a specific time-marker: seventeen days of being drawn along the vāyu-mārga, followed by arrival at Yāmyapura on the eighteenth day-night, presenting the journey as sequential and governed by cosmic order.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It supports the traditional emphasis on timely post-death rites and remembrance, encouraging families to perform prescribed observances with discipline while reflecting on impermanence and ethical living.