Shloka 90
अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः
तद् गच्छ धर्मराजाय निवेद्यैतद् वचो मम परश्वो भ्रातृभिः सार्धं यथा यासि तथा कुरु
tad gaccha dharmarājāya nivedyaitad vaco mama paraśvo bhrātṛbhiḥ sārdhaṃ yathā yāsi tathā kuru
Go, then, to Dharmarāja and report to him these words of mine. And the day after tomorrow, set out together with your brothers—go exactly as you had intended, without deviation.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (embedded narrative voice within the Vishnu Purana’s dynastic account, as recited by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)
Concept: Right action includes faithful communication of counsel to rightful authority and steadfast execution of dharma-oriented resolve without wavering.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Honor legitimate responsibilities: convey guidance transparently to leaders/elders, then act consistently and on time without procrastination or deviation.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is lived as disciplined obedience within rightful order, mirroring the soul’s proper orientation to divine command (ājñā) and governance.
FAQs
Dharmarāja represents the binding authority of dharma—moral law that governs outcomes; the verse highlights reporting to him as submitting actions to rightful order.
By embedding direct commands—such as reporting to Dharmarāja and acting as intended—Parāśara’s narration frames right conduct as alignment with established moral authority.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s worldview treats dharma and cosmic governance as ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s sovereignty, with figures like Dharmarāja functioning within that supreme order.