Shloka 1
Yamavākya
The Words of Yama
यम उवाच । श्रृणु मे वचनं नाथ पितामह पितामह । मरणादधिकं देव यत्प्रतापस्य खंडनम् ॥ १ ॥
yama uvāca | śrṛṇu me vacanaṃ nātha pitāmaha pitāmaha | maraṇādadhikaṃ deva yatpratāpasya khaṃḍanam || 1 ||
যম বললেন—হে নাথ, হে পিতামহ! হে পিতামহ! আমার বাক্য শুনুন। হে দেব! মৃত্যুর চেয়েও অধিক দুঃখকর হলো প্রতাপ (মান-তেজ) ভঙ্গ হওয়া ॥১॥
Yama
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"karuna","secondary_rasa":"vira","emotional_journey":"Begins as a plea for attention and rises into a grave, forceful valuation: loss of honor/tejas is felt as worse than death."}
FAQs
The verse elevates inner dignity and dharmic “pratāpa” (moral-spiritual radiance) as a value that can be harmed more painfully than physical death, implying that safeguarding dharma and integrity is central to spiritual life.
While not explicitly naming bhakti, it supports a bhakti-aligned ethic: devotion is protected by humility and steadfastness in dharma, and the devotee avoids actions that fracture one’s spiritual strength and reputation for righteousness.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this line; the practical takeaway is nīti-dharma—guarding one’s conduct so that one’s pratāpa (earned moral authority) is not diminished.