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
Die Tugendhaften, reich an Verdienst, schauen Dharmarāja in einer Gestalt, die der Rechtschaffenheit entspricht; die Bösartigen jedoch sehen ihn als Yama, in furchterregender Form.
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.