Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 30

Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite

Devanagari script

यमद्वारे महाघोरे श्रुत्वा वैतरणीं तदीम् / तर्तुकामो ददाम्येनां तुभ्यं वैतरणीं नमः

Transliteration

yamadvāre mahāghore śrutvā vaitaraṇīṃ tadīm / tartukāmo dadāmyenāṃ tubhyaṃ vaitaraṇīṃ namaḥ

Translation

Nơi cổng đáng sợ của thần Yama, sau khi nghe về dòng sông Vaitaraṇī ấy, với ước nguyện được vượt qua, con xin dâng ‘Vaitaraṇī’ (lễ thí/hiến cúng) này lên Ngài—kính lễ Vaitaraṇī.

Word by Word

• yama-dvāre: at Yama’s gate
• yama-dvāre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound (तत्पुरुष) ‘Yama’s gate’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahā-ghore: in the very dreadful (place)
• mahā-ghore: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘very terrible’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with ‘dvāre’

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having heard’

• vaitaraṇīm: Vaitaraṇī (river)
• vaitaraṇīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaitaraṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tadīm: that very
• tadīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); emphatic/that very (तदीम्) qualifying ‘vaitaraṇīm’

• tartu-kāmaḥ: desiring to cross
• tartu-kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tartu (तुमुनन्त/infinitive from √tṝ) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘desirous to cross’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• dadāmi: I give
• dadāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• enām: this/that (her)
• enām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: enad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vaitaraṇīm: Vaitaraṇī (as offering)
• vaitaraṇīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaitaraṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• namaḥ: salutation; homage
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Prayojana (सम्बोधन/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय) used as salutation; often governs dative/accusative by usage

Speaker

Preta (departed soul) / ritual recitation on behalf of the deceased (as taught by Lord Vishnu to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Mantra moment within the Vaitaraṇī-dhenu/dāna rite, typically performed in śrāddha context for the departed

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The afterlife journey reflects karmic law; prescribed dāna and mantra are remedial supports that invoke auspicious passage.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra’s fear is met by dharmic action and surrender; ritual as upāya within empirical reality.

Application: Live with awareness of consequences; in times of fear, combine ethical repair (charity, restitution) with prayerful surrender.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: gate and river-crossing

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.47.26-29 (Vaitaraṇī-dhenu rite setup and mantra preface); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa descriptions of Yama’s path and rivers (general internal thematic link)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Vaitarani

FAQs

What is the importance of Vaitaraṇī in Garuda Purana?

This verse treats Vaitaraṇī as a feared crossing near Yama’s realm and presents the ‘Vaitaraṇī’ offering/rite as a means sought by the departed to safely cross it.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It places the soul at Yama’s terrifying gate and highlights a specific obstacle—the Vaitaraṇī—implying that post-death passage involves perilous stages where prescribed rites and offerings are invoked for assistance.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages timely performance of śrāddha-related duties and charity with the intention of easing the deceased’s passage, while also reminding the living to follow dharma to avoid fear in the afterlife journey.