Shloka 68
जन्मन्य् अत्र महद् दुःखं म्रियमाणस्य चापि तत् यातनासु यमस्योग्रं गर्भसंक्रमणेषु च
janmany atra mahad duḥkhaṃ mriyamāṇasya cāpi tat yātanāsu yamasyograṃ garbhasaṃkramaṇeṣu ca
Here there is great suffering at birth, and that same suffering attends one who is dying—terrible are the agonies under Yama’s rule, and grievous too are the passages from womb to womb in repeated embodiment.
Sage Parāśara (in dialogue with Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Pervasiveness of duḥkha across saṃsāra: birth, death, Yama’s torments, and repeated rebirth
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: stern and revelatory
Concept: Saṃsāra is characterized by suffering at entry (birth), exit (death), punitive experiences under Yama, and the misery of repeated embodiment.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Cultivate urgency (saṃvega): reflect daily on mortality and rebirth to prioritize sādhanā—ethical living, devotion, and detachment.
Vishishtadvaita: Frames liberation as release from recurrent embodiment and post-mortem suffering, implying the need for divine grace and refuge rather than mere worldly striving.
FAQs
This verse uses Yama’s yātanās to underline the universe’s moral order—actions bind the soul to consequences, making liberation (mokṣa) the true goal beyond fear and punishment.
Parāśara emphasizes that suffering is not limited to one event: it spans birth, dying, post-death torments, and repeated entry into wombs—showing samsara as continuous bondage driven by karma.
By highlighting the terror of samsara and Yama’s domain, the teaching implicitly points to Vishnu as the Supreme Refuge—devotion and realization oriented to Vishnu are presented as the path that transcends karmic bondage.