Previous Verse
Next Verse

Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 37

Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Wrath, the Assault on Vedic Culture, and the Boy-Yamarāja’s Teaching on the Soul

श्रीयम उवाच अहो अमीषां वयसाधिकानां विपश्यतां लोकविधिं विमोह: । यत्रागतस्तत्र गतं मनुष्यं स्वयं सधर्मा अपि शोचन्त्यपार्थम् ॥ ३७ ॥

śrī-yama uvāca aho amīṣāṁ vayasādhikānāṁ vipaśyatāṁ loka-vidhiṁ vimohaḥ yatrāgatas tatra gataṁ manuṣyaṁ svayaṁ sadharmā api śocanty apārtham

শ্রী যমরাজ বললেন—হায়, কী আশ্চর্য! এরা আমার থেকেও বয়সে বড়, তবু লোকধর্মের বিধান দেখেও মোহগ্রস্ত। মানুষ অজানা স্থান থেকে আসে এবং মৃত্যুর পরে সেই অজানাতেই ফিরে যায়; প্রকৃতির এই নিয়মের ব্যতিক্রম নেই। জেনেও কেন তারা বৃথা শোক করে?

श्री-यमःthe revered Yama
श्री-यमः:
कर्ता (Karta/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootश्री (प्रातिपदिक) + यम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीमान् यमः)
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
क्रिया (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी
अहोalas!/oh!
अहो:
सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअहो (अव्यय)
Formविस्मयादि-निपात (exclamatory particle)
अमीषाम्of these (people)
अमीषाम्:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/सामान्य, षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
वयस्-अधिकानाम्of those older in age
वयस्-अधिकानाम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier of 'अमीषाम्')
TypeAdjective
Rootवयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वयसः अधिकाः)
विपश्यताम्of those who are seeing
विपश्यताम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier in genitive chain)
TypeVerb
Rootवि + पश्य् (धातु)
Formशतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; अर्थः—पश्यताम् (of those who see)
लोक-विधिम्the law/ordinance of the world
लोक-विधिम्:
कर्म (Karma/object; of implied 'विपश्यताम्')
TypeNoun
Rootलोक (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (लोकस्य विधिः)
विमोहःdelusion
विमोहः:
कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/predicate: 'delusion')
TypeNoun
Rootविमोह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
यत्रwhere
यत्र:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/locative sense)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (relative adverb)
आगतःhaving come
आगतः:
क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय (Predicate participle)
TypeVerb
Rootआ + गम् (धातु)
Formक्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—आयातः (having come)
तत्रthere
तत्र:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (correlative adverb)
गतम्gone
गतम्:
कर्म (Karma/object; of implied 'शोचन्ति')
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु)
Formक्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः—गतं (gone)
मनुष्यम्a man/person
मनुष्यम्:
कर्म (Karma/object; apposition to 'गतम्')
TypeNoun
Rootमनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
स्वयम्themselves
स्वयम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्वयम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (indeclinable), आत्मनः-प्रयोग (emphatic)
स-धर्माः(though) of the same condition (as him)
स-धर्माः:
कर्ता (Karta/subject of 'शोचन्ति')
TypeAdjective
Rootस (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थ) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (समान-धर्माणः = of the same nature/condition)
अपिeven
अपि:
सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (particle: even/also)
शोचन्तिthey lament
शोचन्ति:
क्रिया (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootशुच् (धातु)
Formलट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी
अ-पार्थम्in vain
अ-पार्थम्:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअ (नञ्) + पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव (adverbial), नञ्-पूर्वक; अर्थः—न पार्थम्/न युक्तम् (in vain, without purpose)

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (2.28) :

Y
Yamarāja

FAQs

This verse says lamentation is largely useless because death is the ordained law of the world—one simply returns to the destination inevitable for all.

Yamarāja observes how people—even elders who have witnessed life’s patterns—still become deluded and grieve intensely when someone dies, forgetting dharma and inevitability.

Remember life’s impermanence, grieve with sobriety, and channel loss into dharmic living—service, prayer, and spiritual practice rather than despair.