Shloka 20
Viṣṇu-sahasranāma—Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Recitation (विष्णोर्नामसहस्रम्)
अयं चैवापरो धर्मश्नित्रगुप्तेन भाषित:
ayaṃ caivāparo dharmaḥ śnitraguptena bhāṣitaḥ
യമൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇതും ധർമ്മത്തിന്റെ മറ്റൊരു നിയമമാണ്; ശ്നിത്രഗുപ്തൻ പ്രസ്താവിച്ചതാണ് ഇത്.
यम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dharma as a body of authoritative teachings: Yama introduces an additional principle of righteous conduct and grounds it in a prior declaration by Śnitragupta, emphasizing that ethical norms are transmitted and validated through respected sources.
In Yama’s discourse within the Anuśāsana Parva, he transitions to a further point—announcing that what follows is ‘another dharma’—and attributes it to Śnitragupta, signaling a citation or continuation of an established moral instruction.