Shloka 35
यमस्य अधिकारभङ्गः — वैष्णवस्य लक्षणम्
Freedom from Yama through Hari-śaraṇāgati
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
«Así», dijo el divino hijo del Sol, célebre como Dharmarāja, dando órdenes a sus propios servidores: «Esto lo he declarado yo; y por él también te ha sido comunicado. Oh el mejor de los Kurus, reténlo con rectitud y sin confusión; esto mismo lo he dicho yo».
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.