Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 11

Arrival at Yama’s cities: Citragupta’s scrutiny, Dharmadhvaja’s gate, and the necessity of dāna

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्मार्गे तु रौद्रे वै भीषणा यमकिङ्कराः / एकैकस्य पुरस्याग्रे तिष्ठत्येकसहस्रकम्

Transliteration

tasminmārge tu raudre vai bhīṣaṇā yamakiṅkarāḥ / ekaikasya purasyāgre tiṣṭhatyekasahasrakam

Translation

اس رَودْر اور نہایت ہولناک راستے پر یم کے بھیانک خادم پہرا دیتے ہیں—ہر شہر کے دروازے کے آگے ایک ایک ہزار کھڑے ہوتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• रौद्रे: terrible, fierce
• रौद्रे: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मार्गे)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed)

• भीषणाः: frightful
• भीषणाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (यमकिङ्कराः)

• यमकिङ्कराः: servants of Yama
• यमकिङ्कराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + किङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य किङ्कराः)

• एकैकस्य: of each and every
• एकैकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (पुरस्य)

• पुरस्य: of the city
• पुरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• तिष्ठति: stands
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकसहस्रकम्: a thousand (group)
• एकसहस्रकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (एकं सहस्रं यस्य/एकसहस्रम्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The afterlife journey is regulated by Yama’s agents; fearsome guardians symbolize the inescapability of karmic accounting.

Vedantic Theme: Ṛta/dharma as cosmic order; karma as an impersonal law administered through divine functionaries.

Application: Live with accountability—avoid pāpa and cultivate dharma so that the ‘checkpoints’ of conscience and consequence are not faced in terror.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: roadway with fortified gates/cities

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yamadūtas/Yamakiṅkaras stationed along the path; subsequent torture descriptions (2.19.12)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamakiṅkaras

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s attendants (Yamakiṅkaras) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse emphasizes that the post-death route is strictly regulated: Yama’s servants are stationed in large numbers as enforcers of karmic law, ensuring souls proceed according to their deeds.

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

It portrays the road as fierce and fear-inducing, with organized checkpoints—“a thousand” guards at each city-gate—signaling that the journey to Yama’s realm is structured and unavoidable under divine justice.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with accountability: actions have consequences, and ethical conduct (dharma), repentance, and proper śrāddha-related duties are encouraged to reduce fear and confusion associated with death and its aftermath.