Shloka 146

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

त्रयोदश प्रतीहाराः श्रवणा नाम तत्र वै / श्रवणाकर्मतस्तुष्यन्त्यन्यथा क्रोधमाप्नुयुः

Transliteration

trayodaśa pratīhārāḥ śravaṇā nāma tatra vai / śravaṇākarmatastuṣyantyanyathā krodhamāpnuyuḥ

Translation

وہاں ‘شروَن’ نام کے تیرہ دربان ہیں؛ جب مقررہ ‘شروَن’ (توجہ سے سننے) کا عمل ٹھیک طرح ادا ہو تو وہ خوش ہوتے ہیں، ورنہ غضبناک ہو جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• त्रयोदश: thirteen
• त्रयोदश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयोदश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + दश)
• Form: संख्या-शब्दः; विशेषण (प्रतीहाराः)

• प्रतीहाराः: doorkeepers/guards
• प्रतीहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• श्रवणाः: (called) Śravaṇas
• श्रवणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; नामधेय (proper name)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (particle: by name/called)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• श्रवणाकर्मतः: because of/through the act of listening
• श्रवणाकर्मतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रवण-कर्मतस् (प्रातिपदिक; श्रवण + कर्मन् + तस्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from/according to); समासः—तत्पुरुष (श्रवणस्य कर्म)

• तुष्यन्ति: are pleased
• तुष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• क्रोधम्: anger
• क्रोधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आप्नुयुः: would attain/come to (anger)
• आप्नुयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa (attentive hearing) as a prescribed act: receptivity to instruction and due procedure pacifies guardians; negligence provokes obstruction.

Vedantic Theme: Śravaṇa as the first limb of jñāna-mārga (śravaṇa–manana–nididhyāsana), here mirrored in a moral-cosmic register; discipline of attention.

Application: Cultivate attentive listening to ethical counsel and scripture; follow procedures carefully (ritual, legal, professional); avoid careless disregard of guidance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: city gate/threshold

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: gate/guard motifs and procedural tests before entering Yama’s domains (adjacent passages); Garuda Purana: praise of śravaṇa of Viṣṇu-kathā and dharma as purifying (general internal theme)

Characters & Entities

• Śravaṇas
• Pratīhāras (gatekeepers)

FAQs

What is the importance of śravaṇa (hearing) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents śravaṇa as a required duty/observance that pacifies the Śravaṇa gatekeepers; neglecting it is portrayed as provoking obstruction through their anger.

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

It implies that the post-death passage involves guarded thresholds; correct observances (here, śravaṇa) help ensure smooth passage, while negligence can create resistance from the guardians.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate disciplined listening to dharma-teachings and perform rites with attentiveness and accuracy—treating “hearing and heeding” as a real ethical and ritual responsibility, not a formality.