Shloka 35
देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship
पुरा मृतः प्रणीयते यमस्य राजशासनात् । त्वमन्तकाय दारुणै: प्रयत्नमार्जवे कुरु
purā mṛtaḥ praṇīyate yamasya rājaśāsanāt | tvam antakāya dāruṇaiḥ prayatnam ārjave kuru ||
मरने पर यमराज की आज्ञा से भयानक यमदूत तुम्हें उनके सामने उपस्थित करें, उससे पहले ही सरलता-रूप धर्म के पालन के लिए प्रयत्न करो।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not wait for death and judgment; practice dharma now—especially ārjava (straightforwardness, honest integrity)—so one’s life is aligned before facing Yama’s reckoning.
Vyāsa warns the listener about the post-mortem journey: after death, one is taken by Yama’s fearsome attendants under Yama’s authority. The verse uses this image to urge immediate moral effort.