Shloka 21
Yamarāja Instructs the Yamadūtas: Supreme Authority, Mahājanas, and the Glory of the Holy Name
स्वयम्भूर्नारद: शम्भु: कुमार: कपिलो मनु: । प्रह्लादो जनको भीष्मो बलिर्वैयासकिर्वयम् ॥ २० ॥ द्वादशैते विजानीमो धर्मं भागवतं भटा: । गुह्यं विशुद्धं दुर्बोधं यं ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते ॥ २१ ॥
svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ prahlādo janako bhīṣmo balir vaiyāsakir vayam
Svayambhū Brahmā, Nārada, Śambhu (Śiva), die vier Kumāras, Kapila, Svāyambhuva Manu, Prahlāda, Janaka, Bhīṣma, Bali, Śukadeva und ich—wir zwölf kennen das bhāgavata-dharma. O Diener, es ist geheim, rein und schwer; wer es erkennt, empfängt den Nektar der Befreiung.
In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa refers to bhāgavata-dharma as the most confidential religious principle ( sarva-guhyatamam, guhyād guhyataram ). Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, “Because you are My very dear friend, I am explaining to you the most confidential religion.” Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: “Give up all other duties and surrender unto Me.” One may ask, “If this principle is very rarely understood, what is the use of it?” In answer, Yamarāja states herein that this religious principle is understandable if one follows the paramparā system of Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras and the other standard authorities. There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Lord Brahmā, one from Lord Śiva, one from Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, and one from the Kumāras. The disciplic succession from Lord Brahmā is called the Brahma sampradāya, the succession from Lord Śiva (Śambhu) is called the Rudra sampradāya, the one from the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmījī, is called the Śrī sampradāya, and the one from the Kumāras is called the Kumāra sampradāya. One must take shelter of one of these four sampradāyas in order to understand the most confidential religious system. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said, sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ: if one does not follow the four recognized disciplic successions, his mantra or initiation is useless. In the present day there are many apasampradāyas, or sampradāyas which are not bona fide, which have no link to authorities like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the Kumāras or Lakṣmī. People are misguided by such sampradāyas. The śāstras say that being initiated in such a sampradāya is a useless waste of time, for it will never enable one to understand the real religious principles.
FAQs
They are Brahmā (Svayambhū), Nārada, Śiva (Śambhu), the Kumāras, Kapila, Manu, Prahlāda, Janaka, Bhīṣma, Bali, Śukadeva Gosvāmī (Vaiyāsaki), and Yamarāja—recognized authorities who know bhāgavata-dharma.
After the Yamadūtas were stopped from arresting Ajāmila, Yamarāja instructed them on true dharma—explaining that pure devotion (bhāgavata-dharma) is higher than ordinary moral judgment and is known through the authority of the Mahājanas.
Seek guidance from authentic devotional teachings (Mahājana path), practice sincere bhakti (hearing, chanting, remembering the Lord), and prioritize inner purity and surrender—because realizing this confidential dharma leads to freedom from fear and the bondage of death.