Shloka 35

Devanagari script

उवाच देवता: सर्वा: पितंश्चैव महाद्युति: । श्रुतं हि चित्रगुप्तस्य धर्मगुहूं महात्मन:

Transliteration

uvāca devatāḥ sarvāḥ pitṝṁś caiva mahādyutiḥ | śrutaṁ hi citraguptasya dharmaguhūṁ mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

The radiant one (Yama) addressed all the gods and the Pitṛs: “Indeed, I have heard the profound, well-guarded teaching of Dharma from the great-souled Citragupta.”

Word by Word

उवाचsaid/spoke

देवताःthe deities

सर्वाःall

पितॄन्the fathers/ancestors (Pitṛs)

चand

एवindeed/also

महाद्युतिःthe greatly radiant one

श्रुतम्has been heard / is heard

हिindeed/for

चित्रगुप्तस्यof Chitragupta

धर्मगुहुम्Dharmaguha (name/title)

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

Speaker

यम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yama

Devatāḥ (the gods)

Pitṛs (ancestral spirits)

Citragupta

Dharma (as principle/teaching)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That Dharma is a profound, carefully preserved moral law, and even cosmic authorities like Yama acknowledge instruction grounded in accurate moral accounting (associated with Citragupta).

What is happening in the narrative?

Yama, described as radiant, addresses the assembled gods and ancestral Pitṛs, stating that he has heard a deep, guarded exposition of Dharma attributed to the great-souled Citragupta.