Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 39

Akalamṛtyu-kāraṇa and Bāla Antyeṣṭi: Age-graded Funeral Rites, Śrāddha Types, and Sonship Duties

Devanagari script

आत्मानं च पितॄंश्चैव स नयेद्यममन्दिरम् / संगृहीतस्तु यः केचिद्दासीपुत्त्रादयश्च ये

Transliteration

ātmānaṃ ca pitṝṃścaiva sa nayedyamamandiram / saṃgṛhītastu yaḥ keciddāsīputtrādayaśca ye

Translation

Người ấy bị dẫn đến nơi ở của Diêm Vương, cùng với chính mình và cả các bậc tổ tiên (Pitṛ). Lại nữa, những kẻ mà người ấy đã thu nhận nuôi dưỡng—như con của tỳ nữ và các người lệ thuộc khác—cũng bị lôi theo vào hậu quả ấy.

Word by Word

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• पितॄन्: forefathers
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

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

• नयेत्: should lead
• नयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यममन्दिरम्: Yama's abode
• यममन्दिरम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य मन्दिरम्)

• संगृहीतः: taken/accepted (as dependent)
• संगृहीतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + ग्रह् (धातु) → संगृहीत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• केचित्: some (persons)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• दासीपुत्रादयः: sons of a female slave and others
• दासीपुत्रादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समाहार/समुच्चयार्थः; तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (दास्याः पुत्राः) + 'आदि' (etc.)

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

• ये: who (those)
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmic responsibility extends through bonds of dependence and lineage; one’s actions can implicate connected beings in suffering or consequence.

Vedantic Theme: Bandha (bondage) through saṅga (attachment) and kartṛtva-bhāva (doership) leading to saṃsāric accountability.

Application: Exercise ethical guardianship; avoid exploitative ‘taking into care’ that creates harm; perform duties without attachment and with dharmic intent.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: divine court/abode

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama-sadana descriptions and soul’s escort by Yamadūtas (general thematic parallel); Garuda Purana: teachings on pitṛ-ṛṇa (debt to ancestors) and consequences of neglect (thematic)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s abode (Yamamandira) in the Garuda Purana?

In this verse, Yama’s abode functions as the place where karmic accountability is confronted; the text stresses that one’s actions can have repercussions that extend beyond oneself.

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

It portrays the deceased being led to Yama’s realm for judgment, emphasizing that karmic outcomes are not isolated—forefathers and those closely bound through dependence may be implicated in the narrative of consequences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live and earn righteously, and take responsibility for those under your care; combine ethical conduct with appropriate śrāddha/pitṛ rites so one’s life does not become a cause of distress for family lines and dependents.