Shloka 35
इति निजभटशासनाय देवो रवितनयः स किलाह धर्मराजः मम कथितम् इदं च तेन तुभ्यं कुरुवर सम्यग् इदं मयापि चोक्तम्
iti nijabhaṭaśāsanāya devo ravitanayaḥ sa kilāha dharmarājaḥ mama kathitam idaṃ ca tena tubhyaṃ kuruvara samyag idaṃ mayāpi coktam
“Thus,” said the divine son of the Sun, famed as Dharmarāja, as he commanded his own attendants: “This has been declared by me, and by him it has also been conveyed to you. O best of the Kurus, hold it rightly and without confusion—for this, too, has been spoken by me.”
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; verse reports the speech/command of Dharmarāja/Yama within the story)
Concept: Dharmarāja’s authoritative instruction must be held correctly, without confusion, as a reliable guide for conduct and judgment.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Receive scriptural/ethical counsel with precision—avoid distortion, and align action with well-understood dharma.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is upheld as a divine ordinance under the supreme Lord’s governance, fitting Viśiṣṭādvaita’s ordered cosmos where moral law is real and purposeful.
Dharma Exemplar: Dharma (righteous discernment and obedience to rightful injunction)
Key Kings: Nakula
FAQs
This verse presents Dharmarāja as a divinely authorized ruler who commands his attendants and safeguards the order of dharma through clear instruction and enforcement.
Parāśara narrates a chain of instruction—Yama speaks, his command is carried by an intermediary (“him”), and the listener is urged to grasp it “samyak,” emphasizing faithful transmission and correct understanding.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s worldview frames cosmic offices like Dharmarāja as operating within a divinely sustained order—ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty over the moral cosmos.