Shloka 20
Yamarāja Instructs the Yamadūtas: Supreme Authority, Mahājanas, and the Glory of the Holy Name
स्वयम्भूर्नारद: शम्भु: कुमार: कपिलो मनु: । प्रह्लादो जनको भीष्मो बलिर्वैयासकिर्वयम् ॥ २० ॥ द्वादशैते विजानीमो धर्मं भागवतं भटा: । गुह्यं विशुद्धं दुर्बोधं यं ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते ॥ २१ ॥
svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ prahlādo janako bhīṣmo balir vaiyāsakir vayam
ਸ੍ਵਯੰਭੂ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ, ਨਾਰਦ, ਸ਼ੰਭੂ (ਸ਼ਿਵ), ਚਾਰ ਕੁਮਾਰ, ਦੇਵਹੂਤੀ-ਪੁੱਤਰ ਕਪਿਲ, ਸ੍ਵਾਯੰਭੁਵ ਮਨੂ, ਪ੍ਰਹਲਾਦ, ਜਨਕ, ਪਿਤਾਮਹ ਭੀਸ਼ਮ, ਬਲੀ ਮਹਾਰਾਜ, ਸ਼ੁਕਦੇਵ ਗੋਸਵਾਮੀ ਅਤੇ ਮੈਂ—ਇਹ ਬਾਰਾਂ ਹੀ ਭਾਗਵਤ-ਧਰਮ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣਦੇ ਹਾਂ। ਹੇ ਭਟੋ, ਇਹ ਧਰਮ ਅਤਿ ਗੁਹ੍ਯ, ਵਿਸ਼ੁੱਧ ਅਤੇ ਆਮ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਲਈ ਦੁਸ਼ਵਾਰ ਹੈ; ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਜਾਣ ਕੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ-ਸਮ ਮੁਕਤੀ ਪਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa refers to bhāgavata-dharma as the most confidential religious principle ( sarva-guhyatamam, guhyād guhyataram ). Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, “Because you are My very dear friend, I am explaining to you the most confidential religion.” Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: “Give up all other duties and surrender unto Me.” One may ask, “If this principle is very rarely understood, what is the use of it?” In answer, Yamarāja states herein that this religious principle is understandable if one follows the paramparā system of Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras and the other standard authorities. There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Lord Brahmā, one from Lord Śiva, one from Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, and one from the Kumāras. The disciplic succession from Lord Brahmā is called the Brahma sampradāya, the succession from Lord Śiva (Śambhu) is called the Rudra sampradāya, the one from the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmījī, is called the Śrī sampradāya, and the one from the Kumāras is called the Kumāra sampradāya. One must take shelter of one of these four sampradāyas in order to understand the most confidential religious system. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said, sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ: if one does not follow the four recognized disciplic successions, his mantra or initiation is useless. In the present day there are many apasampradāyas, or sampradāyas which are not bona fide, which have no link to authorities like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the Kumāras or Lakṣmī. People are misguided by such sampradāyas. The śāstras say that being initiated in such a sampradāya is a useless waste of time, for it will never enable one to understand the real religious principles.
FAQs
They are Brahmā, Nārada, Śiva, the four Kumāras, Kapila, Manu, Prahlāda, Janaka, Bhīṣma, Bali, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Yamarāja—recognized authorities on bhāgavata-dharma.
He is instructing his messengers that true dharma is subtle and is known through realized authorities (mahājanas), not merely by external rules or speculation.
Seek guidance from authentic devotional teachings and saintly exemplars, and shape daily practice around bhakti—hearing, chanting, and serving the Lord—rather than relying only on personal opinion.