Shloka 86

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

Path to Yama

Devanagari script

चत्वारिं शत्तथा सप्त प्रत्यहं याति तत्र सः / अष्टाचत्वारिंशता च त्रैंशता दिवसैरिति

Transliteration

catvāriṃ śattathā sapta pratyahaṃ yāti tatra saḥ / aṣṭācatvāriṃśatā ca traiṃśatā divasairiti

Translation

وہاں وہ ہر روز سینتالیس یوجن طے کرتا ہے؛ یوں اڑتیس دنوں میں یہ سفر مکمل ہو جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• चत्वारिंशत्: forty
• चत्वारिंशत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (numeral noun 'forty', feminine, nominative/accusative, singular)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (indeclinable: 'thus/also')

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (numeral 'seven', used as addend)

• प्रति: per
• प्रति: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like: 'per')

• अहम्: day
• अहम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• याति: goes, travels
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun, masculine, nominative, singular)

• अष्टा: eight
• अष्टा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (numeral 'eight', used in compound)

• चत्वारिंशता: by forty (i.e., forty)
• चत्वारिंशता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (numeral noun 'forty', instrumental singular; used in additive expression)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्रिंशता: by thirty (i.e., thirty)
• त्रिंशता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (numeral noun 'thirty', instrumental singular; used in additive expression)

• दिवसैः: by days, in days
• दिवसैः: Kāla-karana (Time-measure/कालकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative/closing particle)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The preta’s movement is regulated—daily distance and total duration are fixed, reflecting karmic governance and cosmic order.

Vedantic Theme: Kāla-niyati (time as regulator) within saṃsāra; the jīva’s constrained agency under karmic law.

Application: Perform timely post-death rites; contemplate impermanence and align life with dharma and devotion before time compels transition.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: journey route with temporal staging

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: early post-death timeline motifs and journey-day counts in adjacent verses; Garuda Purana Śrāddha-kalpa: emphasis on timely rites during the preta period (thematic linkage)

Characters & Entities

• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of the daily travel count in the Garuda Purana?

This verse gives a concrete time-and-distance measure for the preta’s post-death journey, supporting the text’s ritual timeline and the idea of an ordered passage toward the next stage of judgment and rebirth.

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

It presents the soul (as a preta) as actively moving along a defined route, progressing a fixed amount each day and reaching the next milestone in a specified number of days.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages timely performance of śrāddha and related rites with a sense of urgency and responsibility, while reminding one to live ethically so the post-death passage is not burdened by harmful karma.