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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

सायुधा धावमानाश्च न मार्गे दृष्टिगोचराः / प्रयान्ति यमदूतास्ते मुद्रिकायाः प्रदानतः

Transliteration

sāyudhā dhāvamānāśca na mārge dṛṣṭigocarāḥ / prayānti yamadūtāste mudrikāyāḥ pradānataḥ

Translation

ہتھیار بند اور دوڑتے ہوئے بھی یم کے دوت راہ میں نظر نہیں آتے؛ مُدرِکا (اجازت کی نشانی) کے عطیے کی برکت سے وہ آگے گزر جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word
सायुधाःarmed
सायुधाः:
Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootस + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यमदूतानाम्); ‘आयुधैः सह’ इत्यर्थे बहुव्रीह्यर्थक-तत्पुरुषप्रयोगः
धावमानाःrunning
धावमानाः:
Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootधाव् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
Formवर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्
चand
च:
Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)
नnot
न:
Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
मार्गेon the path
मार्गे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootमार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणम् (in/on the path)
दृष्टिगोचराःwithin sight, visible
दृष्टिगोचराः:
Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदृष्टि + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यमदूतानाम्); ‘दृष्टेः गोचराः’ = visible
प्रयान्तिthey go away, depart
प्रयान्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + या (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
यमदूताःYama's messengers
यमदूताः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयम + दूत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
तेthose (they)
ते:
Anuvartaka/Pronoun (अनुवर्तक)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; यमदूतान् प्रति निर्देशः
मुद्रिकायाःof the seal/ring (token)
मुद्रिकायाः:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootमुद्रिका (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धः (of a seal/ring/token)
प्रदानतःbecause of the giving
प्रदानतः:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्र + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
Formतसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘because of giving’
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific meritorious acts (here, granting a mudrikā/token) create a juridical protection that prevents encounter with punitive forces.

Vedantic Theme: Moral causality expressed through symbolic ‘permissions’; unseen merit shaping seen/unseen experiences.

Application: Perform prescribed gifts/rites with faith and correctness; honor ritual tokens/authorizations in funerary contexts as symbols of lawful passage.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: road/path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: items given to aid passage on the path (tokens, footwear, umbrella, etc.); Garuda Purana: discussions of messengers, road-visions, and how merit alters perception/encounter

Characters & Entities
Y
Yama
Y
Yamadutas

FAQs

In this verse, the mudrikā functions as an official authorization or credential that empowers Yama’s messengers to move and act on the soul’s route, indicating divine/legal sanction in the after-death administration.

It implies that the journey after death is not purely physical: Yama’s agents can be armed and swift yet remain unseen on the “road,” suggesting a subtle, supra-human transit and governance over the departed’s passage.

Live with accountability: the verse reinforces that actions have consequences under an ordered moral law (dharma), encouraging ethical conduct and sincere performance of prescribed rites with awareness of the after-death journey.

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