Shloka 19
इति यमवचनं निशम्य पाशी यमपुरुषस् तम् उवाच धर्मराजम् कथय मम विभो समस्तधातुर् भवति हरेः खलु यादृशो ऽस्य भक्तः
iti yamavacanaṃ niśamya pāśī yamapuruṣas tam uvāca dharmarājam kathaya mama vibho samastadhātur bhavati hareḥ khalu yādṛśo 'sya bhaktaḥ
Hearing Yama’s words, the noose-bearing servant of Yama addressed Dharmarāja: “Tell me, O Lord—how does one become wholly steadfast in every way? And what, indeed, is a devotee of Hari like; what is his true nature?”
A pāśī (noose-bearing Yama-dūta / servant of Yama) speaking to Dharmarāja (Yama)
Concept: The verse frames bhakti as a knowable spiritual disposition whose marks can be taught and recognized.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Seek clear criteria for devotion—ethical steadiness, inner purity, and single-minded God-remembrance—rather than mere external identity.
Vishishtadvaita: Bhakti is presented as a concrete, embodied dharma (ethical and mental discipline) oriented to Hari, not as an abstract sentiment.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
It frames bhakti as a power that even Yama’s agents must understand, highlighting that devotion to Hari stands above ordinary karmic fear and reveals a higher spiritual order.
The verse introduces the inquiry: a true bhakta is marked by complete inner steadfastness and orientation toward Hari, prompting a doctrinal explanation of devotional identity beyond mere ritual merit.
Hari is treated as the supreme refuge whose devotee embodies a transformed state; the narrative implies Vishnu’s sovereignty extends even into Yama’s jurisdiction and the mechanisms of retribution.