Shloka 55
Vishnu-sahasranāma-style Japa: Vishnu as Cosmic Cause and Inner Self
Antaryāmin
यमस्य कारणं चैव (३२०)ईशानस्य च कारणम् / यक्षाणां कारणं चैव रक्षसां कारणं परम्
yamasya kāraṇaṃ caiva (320)īśānasya ca kāraṇam / yakṣāṇāṃ kāraṇaṃ caiva rakṣasāṃ kāraṇaṃ param
Dia sesungguhnya sumber sebab bagi Yama, dan juga sebab bagi Īśāna; Dia ialah sebab bagi para Yakṣa, dan sebab tertinggi bagi para Rākṣasa.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: The Supreme cause underlies even Yama (death/judgment), Īśāna (a Rudra aspect), Yakṣas and Rākṣasas (liminal beings).
Vedantic Theme: Non-dual dependence: all powers—benign or terrifying—are manifestations within the Supreme’s order; fear is mitigated by knowing the ultimate ground.
Application: When facing fear of death or hostile forces, anchor the mind in the Supreme as the controller of all; cultivate ethical living to align with dharma under Yama’s jurisdiction.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: realm
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama’s role as judge and the soul’s journey (conceptual linkage though this verse is cosmological); Garuda Purana: descriptions of yakṣa/rākṣasa classes in cosmography
FAQs
This verse frames even powerful cosmic administrators like Yama and other classes of beings as dependent on a higher, supreme causal source—supporting the Purana’s theological hierarchy and dharmic order.
By identifying Yama as deriving from a higher cause, the verse implies that the post-death governance of karma (often associated with Yama) operates within a divinely grounded cosmic order rather than being autonomous.
Treat moral accountability as universal and structured: live ethically (dharma), since karmic consequences are portrayed as part of an ordered system overseen by higher principles, not mere chance.