Shloka 17
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas (Great Sins), Vows, Tīrtha, and Sin-Destroying Observances
यमाय धर्मराजाय मृत्यवे चान्तकाय च / वैवस्वताय कालाय सर्वभूतक्षयाय च
yamāya dharmarājāya mṛtyave cāntakāya ca / vaivasvatāya kālāya sarvabhūtakṣayāya ca
Saudações a Yama, o rei do Dharma; à Morte e a Antaka (o que põe fim); a Vaivasvata; a Kāla (o Tempo); e ao destruidor universal de todos os seres.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Yama as Dharmarāja and Kāla embodies cosmic justice and the inescapable fruition of karma.
Vedantic Theme: Kāla as īśvara-śakti governing saṃsāra; mṛtyu as a spur to vairāgya and dharma.
Application: Cultivate accountability: remember mortality, restrain harmful acts, and perform dharmic duties knowing karma is audited by Dharmarāja.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: court/realm
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama-dūta, Yama-sabhā, and karma-vicāra passages
FAQs
This verse frames Yama as Dharma’s king and as Time/Death itself, emphasizing that the after-death journey is governed by moral law (dharma) and karmic accountability.
By naming Yama as Dharmaraja and Kala, it signals that the soul’s post-death experience is not random—its movement toward judgment and results is structured by time and karma under Yama’s authority.
Live with dharma and awareness of impermanence: ethical conduct, truthfulness, and responsibility are presented as the real preparation for death and its consequences.