Shloka 38

यमस्य अधिकारभङ्गः — वैष्णवस्य लक्षणम्

Freedom from Yama through Hari-śaraṇāgati

Devanagari script

किंकरा दण्डपाशौ वा न यमो न च यातना समर्थास् तस्य यस्यात्मा केशवालम्बनः सदा

Transliteration

kiṃkarā daṇḍapāśau vā na yamo na ca yātanā samarthās tasya yasyātmā keśavālambanaḥ sadā

Translation

Neither Yama, nor his servants, nor the rod and noose, nor any torment has power over one whose very self forever rests, unwaveringly, upon Keśava as its sole support.

Word by Word

• किंकराः: servants; attendants
• किंकराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• दण्डपाशौ: the staff and the noose
• दण्डपाशौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (dual); द्वन्द्वः—दण्डश्च पाशश्च

• वा: or
• वा: Disjunction (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• न: nor
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यातना: torment; punishment
• यातना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• समर्थाः: capable; able
• समर्थाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine/neuter), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine/neuter), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• आत्मा: self; soul
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• केशवावलम्बनः: having Keshava as support; reliant on Keshava
• केशवावलम्बनः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक) + आलम्बन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुषः—केशवस्य आलम्बनम् (आश्रयः) यस्य

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: For one whose self rests steadily on Keśava, Yama and his instruments of punishment have no jurisdiction.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Anchor the mind in Keśava through steady practice (smaraṇa, nāma, prayer) to transform fear into trust and ethical living.

Vishishtadvaita: Prapatti/bhakti establishes the Lord’s protective lordship (rakṣakatva) over the dependent soul; grace supersedes the fear of retributive mechanisms.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Bhakti Type: Dasya (servant)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Keśava)
• Yama
• Yama’s attendants (kiṅkaras)

FAQs

What is the significance of taking refuge in Keśava in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Keśava as the unfailing inner support (ālambana) that nullifies the power of Yama’s punitive forces, highlighting devotion as the decisive spiritual safeguard.

How does Sage Parāśara explain freedom from Yama’s punishments?

Parāśara frames it as a consequence of unwavering God-centered reliance: when the self is anchored in Vishnu, the usual mechanisms of karmic retribution (Yama, his servants, and torments) cannot prevail.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu (Keśava) is depicted as the supreme reality and final authority over death and justice, underscoring a Vaishnava view where surrender and devotion to Vishnu transcend fear of post-mortem suffering.