Shloka 4
Yamarāja Instructs the Yamadūtas: Supreme Authority, Mahājanas, and the Glory of the Holy Name
यमदूता ऊचु: कति सन्तीह शास्तारो जीवलोकस्य वै प्रभो । त्रैविध्यं कुर्वत: कर्म फलाभिव्यक्तिहेतव: ॥ ४ ॥
yamadūtā ūcuḥ kati santīha śāstāro jīva-lokasya vai prabho trai-vidhyaṁ kurvataḥ karma phalābhivyakti-hetavaḥ
Os Yamadūtas disseram: “Ó senhor, quantos governantes ou juízes há neste mundo dos seres? Quantas causas fazem manifestar os diversos frutos das ações realizadas sob as três guṇas—sattva, rajas e tamas?”
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that the Yamadūtas, the order carriers of Yamarāja, were so disappointed that they asked their master, almost in great anger, whether there were many masters other than him. Furthermore, because the Yamadūtas had been defeated and their master could not protect them, they were inclined to say that there was no need to serve such a master. If a servant cannot carry out the orders of his master without being defeated, what is the use of serving such a powerless master?
FAQs
In this verse the Yamadūtas ask how many “śāstāras” (controllers/authorities) exist who regulate living beings and make karmic results manifest, indicating their doubt about whether authority is singular or multiple.
They have been checked in their duty and are trying to understand the true structure of cosmic law—who actually has jurisdiction to judge and award the results of karma.
It encourages a serious inquiry into accountability and moral law: actions carry consequences, and one should align life with dharma and devotion rather than assuming results are random or avoidable.