Shloka 27
Means to Attain Vaikuṇṭha: The Glory of House-Donation and the Viṣṇudūtas–Yamadūtas Episode
यमं प्रोचुः सभीताश्च वृत्तांतं सकलं द्विज । यमोऽपि तत्कथां श्रुत्वा चित्रगुप्तमुवाच ह
yamaṃ procuḥ sabhītāśca vṛttāṃtaṃ sakalaṃ dvija | yamo'pi tatkathāṃ śrutvā citraguptamuvāca ha
Wahai brāhmaṇa, dalam ketakutan mereka menceritakan seluruh peristiwa kepada Yama. Yama pun setelah mendengar kisah itu, lalu bertitah kepada Citragupta.
Narrator (third-person narration within the Purāṇic dialogue frame)
Concept: Karma is audited through truthful narration; fear gives way to accountability before Dharma.
Application: Own one’s actions without concealment; keep one’s conduct and intentions transparent as if already before the cosmic record.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast, austere court of Yama where trembling souls, hands folded, recount their deeds in a single fearful stream. Yama sits enthroned with a stern yet impartial gaze, while Citragupta stands beside palm-leaf ledgers, ready to inscribe the verdict of karma.","primary_figures":["Yama (Dharmarāja)","Citragupta","fearful messengers/souls"],"setting":"Yamaloka court with dark stone pillars, judgment dais, and scrolls/ledgers arranged like a cosmic archive","lighting_mood":"torchlit-gloom with a cold, judicial clarity","color_palette":["obsidian black","smoky indigo","iron gray","ember orange","dull gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Dharmarāja enthroned in a severe cosmic court, Citragupta holding palm-leaf ledgers and stylus, frightened petitioners at the foot of the throne; gold leaf embellishment on the throne canopy and ornaments, rich maroons and deep greens framing the dark hall, gem-studded crown and traditional South Indian iconography with crisp symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a refined, lyrical depiction of Yama’s court—slender pillars, delicate linework, Citragupta with a manuscript, petitioners with folded hands; cool indigo shadows, muted reds, and pale gold accents, with expressive faces and a quiet sense of moral gravity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Dharmarāja with characteristic large eyes and regal posture, Citragupta with manuscript and stylus; temple-wall aesthetic using natural pigments—deep reds, ochres, greens—set against a darkened hall, rhythmic ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic ‘court of Dharma’ framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs, ledgers and conch-like emblems of judgment; deep blues and gold with patterned textiles, stylized attendants and symmetrical composition, devotional ornamentation despite the stern theme."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple drum","distant conch shell","echoing hall ambience","faint chain-like clinks","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सभीताश्च = सभीताः + च; यमोऽपि = यमः + अपि; तत्कथां = तत् + कथाम्; चित्रगुप्तमुवाच = चित्रगुप्तम् + उवाच
FAQs
Yama is the lord of justice and the after-death adjudicator, while Citragupta is traditionally described as the divine scribe who maintains records of beings’ deeds (karma).
The verse underscores accountability: actions are “recorded” and examined, implying that moral choices have consequences assessed through dharma rather than whim.
“Dvija” is a conventional Purāṇic address to a brāhmaṇa interlocutor/audience, signaling a didactic setting where the narrative is being relayed for instruction.