Shloka 7
Arrival at Yama’s cities: Citragupta’s scrutiny, Dharmadhvaja’s gate, and the necessity of dāna
धर्मराजस्य यद्रूपं सन्तः सुकृतिनो जनाः / पश्यन्ति च दुरात्मानो यमरूपं सुभीषणम्
dharmarājasya yadrūpaṃ santaḥ sukṛtino janāḥ / paśyanti ca durātmāno yamarūpaṃ subhīṣaṇam
إن الصالحين ذوي الحسنات يرون «دارماراجا» (Dharmarāja) في صورة تليق بالاستقامة؛ أمّا الأشرار ذوو النفوس الخبيثة فيرونه «ياما» (Yama) في هيئة مرعبة مهيبة.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: यथाकर्म तथा यथाभावं दर्शनम्—सुकृतिनां प्रति धर्मराजः सौम्यः, दुष्कृतिनां प्रति भीषणः
Vedantic Theme: अन्तःकरण-प्रतिबिम्बवादः/यथाभाव-प्रत्ययः; कर्मसंस्कारैः अनुभूति-रूप-भेदः
Application: स्वभाव-शोधनं (सत्य, दया, संयम) कृत्वा भय-आधारित-जीवनं त्यक्त्वा धर्म-आधारित-विश्वासं वर्धयेत्
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: court/assembly
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: यमस्य रूप-भेद-वर्णन; सुकृत-दुष्कृत-फल-भेद
FAQs
This verse teaches that Yama is experienced according to one’s karma: for the meritorious he appears as Dharmarāja (just and auspicious), while for the sinful he appears as a terrifying punisher.
It implies that the soul’s post-death experience is shaped by merit and demerit—inner moral quality determines whether the encounter with the Lord of Death is reassuring or fearsome.
Cultivate dharma—truthfulness, restraint, charity, and non-harm—so that accountability after death is met with clarity and justice rather than fear.