Shloka 22
The Deliverance of King Nṛga and the Warning Against Taking Brāhmaṇa Property
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे यामैर्दूतैर्नीतो यमक्षयम् । यमेन पृष्टस्तत्राहं देवदेव जगत्पते ॥ २२ ॥
etasminn antare yāmair dūtair nīto yama-kṣayam yamena pṛṣṭas tatrāhaṁ deva-deva jagat-pate
In the meantime, Yamarāja’s messengers seized the chance and carried me to his abode. There Yamarāja himself questioned me: “O Lord of lords, O Master of the universe.”
According to the ācāryas, the King’s performance of fruitive activities had previously been flawless. But now an inadvertent discrepancy had arisen, and so when the King died the Yamadūtas took him to the abode of Yamarāja, called Saṁyamanī.
FAQs
This verse describes the Yamadūtas escorting a person to Yama’s residence, where Yama questions the soul—highlighting the Bhagavatam’s depiction of karmic accountability and judgment after death.
Within the narrative, the soul is brought for evaluation; Yama’s questioning represents the formal inquiry into one’s actions and the rightful consequences of karma.
The verse models turning one’s consciousness toward the Supreme (“O Lord of lords”) even in fear or uncertainty—encouraging steady devotion and moral living so one faces accountability with clarity and faith.