Shloka 5
यमस्य अधिकारभङ्गः — वैष्णवस्य लक्षणम्
Freedom from Yama through Hari-śaraṇāgati
सर्वे चैते वशं यान्ति यमस्य भगवन् किल आयुषो ऽन्ते ततो यान्ति यातनास् तत्प्रचोदिताः
sarve caite vaśaṃ yānti yamasya bhagavan kila āyuṣo 'nte tato yānti yātanās tatpracoditāḥ
O revered one, it is indeed said that when their allotted lifespan comes to its end, all beings fall under the authority of Yama; and then, driven onward by his command, they proceed to the appointed ordeals.
Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Post-mortem judgment: Yama’s authority and the experience of yātanā (purifying torments)
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: At life’s end, beings come under Yama’s governance and undergo consequences propelled by their karma.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Use mortality as impetus for ethical living, repentance, and steady devotional practice that purifies karma.
Vishishtadvaita: Moral order is real and administered within the Lord’s cosmos; karmaphala is not arbitrary but structured, urging surrender and righteous action.
FAQs
This verse presents Yama as the universal authority who takes charge of beings at death and directs them toward consequences shaped by moral order and karma.
Parāśara states that at the end of one’s allotted lifespan, beings come under Yama’s jurisdiction and are then compelled toward “yātanā”—the suffered results that correspond to their deeds.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the framework assumes a Vishnu-governed cosmic order: Yama functions as an appointed regulator within that divine sovereignty, ensuring karmic justice in the world-cycle.