Shloka 71
Ajñātavāsa-saṅkalpaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Resolve and Dhaumya’s Exempla on Concealment
त्वयोपगूढस्य च मे निद्रयापहतं मन: । ततो<पश्यं तमो घोर पुरुषं च महौजसम्,“तुम्हारे अंगोंका स्पर्श होनेसे मेरा मन नींदमें खो गया। तत्पश्चात् मुझे घोर अंधकार दिखायी दिया। साथ ही एक महातेजस्वी दिव्य पुरुषका दर्शन हुआ
tvayopagūḍhasya ca me nidrayāpahataṃ manaḥ | tato 'paśyaṃ tamo ghoraṃ puruṣaṃ ca mahaujasam ||
When you embraced me, my mind was overcome by sleep. Then I beheld a dreadful darkness, and also a mighty, radiant Person. The episode signals a moment in which ordinary awareness is eclipsed, and a higher, awe-inspiring presence is revealed—hinting at the moral gravity of the encounter and the unseen order that governs life, death, and righteous conduct.
यम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that encounters tied to dharma and the cosmic law of death can overwhelm ordinary consciousness, leading to a revelatory vision. It suggests that behind fear (darkness) stands a higher, powerful presence, reminding the listener that ethical order operates beyond immediate perception.
Yama describes being embraced, after which his mind is overtaken by sleep. In that altered state he experiences a terrifying darkness and then sees a great, powerful Person—indicating a sudden transition from normal awareness to a vision with divine or otherworldly significance.