Shloka 22

Preta-mārga Supports (Dāna), Chitragupta’s Accounting, and the Enumeration of Narakas

Devanagari script

यमदूता महारौद्राः करालाः कृष्णपिङ्गलाः / न पीडयन्ति दाक्षिण्याद्वस्त्राभारणदानतः

Transliteration

yamadūtā mahāraudrāḥ karālāḥ kṛṣṇapiṅgalāḥ / na pīḍayanti dākṣiṇyādvastrābhāraṇadānataḥ

Translation

یَم کے دوت نہایت ہولناک، کرال اور سیاہ زرد آنکھوں والے ہیں؛ مگر جو سخاوت سے کپڑے اور زیور کا دان کرتا ہے، اسے وہ عذاب نہیں دیتے۔

Word by Word

• यमदूताः: messengers of Yama
• यमदूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + दूत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य दूताः)

• महारौद्राः: very fierce
• महारौद्राः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यमदूतानाम्)

• करालाः: terrible, grim
• करालाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यमदूतानाम्)

• कृष्णपिङ्गलाः: dark-brown/blackish-tawny
• कृष्णपिङ्गलाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यमदूतानाम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• पीडयन्ति: they torment, afflict
• पीडयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• दाक्षिण्यात्: from generosity
• दाक्षिण्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षिण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (from/owing to generosity)

• वस्त्राभरणदानतः: because of giving clothes and ornaments
• वस्त्राभरणदानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वस्त्र + आभरण + दान (प्रातिपदिक; समास) + तः (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; समासः (वस्त्र-आभरण-दान) = वस्त्राणाम् आभरणानां च दानम्; कारणवाचक

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dāna (gifts), especially of clothing and ornaments, yields protective karma that averts torment by Yama’s agents.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and the subtle continuity of merit beyond death; ethical action shaping post-mortem experience.

Application: Practice regular dāna—clothing and useful personal items—to cultivate compassion and to support auspicious post-death passage (also as part of funerary charity).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: road/path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: dāna as protection on the yamamārga; descriptions of Yamadūtas and their restraint by merit; Garuda Purana: śrāddha/dāna sections linking gifts to the preta’s comfort

Characters & Entities

• Yamadutas
• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of vastra-dāna (donating clothes) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that gifts like clothing (vastra) and ornaments (ābharaṇa), given with generosity, lessen post-death torment—Yama’s messengers do not afflict such a donor.

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

It implies that the preta’s journey and encounters with Yama’s agents are shaped by karma; charitable acts performed in life can mitigate fear and suffering in the after-death passage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice regular, sincere charity—especially essentials like clothing—cultivating dākṣiṇya (kindness), as ethical giving is presented as protective merit in the Garuda Purana.