Shloka 91

Adhyaya 10 — Jaimini’s Questions on Birth, Death, Karma, and the Embodied Journey

Sanskrit

यथा पुण्यकृतो यान्ति तन्मे निगदतः शृणु ।

ते यमेन विनिर्दिष्टां यान्ति पुण्यां गतिं नराः ॥

Transliteration

yathā puṇyakṛto yānti tan me nigadataḥ śṛṇu | te yamena vinirdiṣṭāṃ yānti puṇyāṃ gatiṃ narāḥ ||

Translation

میری بات سنو—جنہوں نے نیک اعمال کیے ہیں وہ کیسے روانہ ہوتے ہیں۔ انسان یم کے مقرر کردہ مبارک راہِ تقدیر کی طرف جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• यथा: as, in the manner that
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable of manner: 'as, in the way that')

• पुण्यकृतः: doers of merit (virtuous people)
• पुण्यकृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya-kṛt (प्रातिपदिक; कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारयवत्): पुण्यं करोति इति

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (तत् + मे इति संधिविच्छेद)

• मे: my, to me
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic

• निगदतः: of (me) declaring
• निगदतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-gad (गद् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; 'of (me) speaking/declaring'

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• यमेन: by Yama
• यमेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विनिर्दिष्टाम्: designated, assigned
• विनिर्दिष्टाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-nir-diś (दिश् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'pointed out/assigned'

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• पुण्याम्: meritorious, auspicious
• पुण्याम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'holy/meritorious'

• गतिम्: path, destination
• गतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speakers

• Pitā instructing Putra (within Pitā–Putra dialogue)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Yama

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Karma (fruits of action)
• Afterlife
• Moral causality

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Moral order is not arbitrary: the post-mortem trajectory of beings follows dharma as administered by Yama. Merit (puṇya) produces an elevated destination, reinforcing ethical accountability.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Dharma/ācāra teaching (often treated under ancillary purāṇic instruction) rather than strict sarga/pratisarga; it supports the purāṇic function of guiding conduct through karmic consequences.

What is the esoteric significance?

Yama symbolizes the law-like intelligibility of karma: ‘prescribed by Yama’ points to an impersonal moral structure operating through a personal deity-form.