Shloka 92
Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya: Bhakti-Lakṣaṇa, Nārasiṁha-tīrtha, and the Secret Darśana-Vidhi of Śrīnivāsa
पीठस्य मध्ये यमसंज्ञां च लक्ष्मीं समर्चयेद्यममध्ये च देवीम् / यमस्य देवस्य च दक्षिणे च सूर्यं नमेद्दीपरूपं च भद्रे
pīṭhasya madhye yamasaṃjñāṃ ca lakṣmīṃ samarcayedyamamadhye ca devīm / yamasya devasya ca dakṣiṇe ca sūryaṃ nameddīparūpaṃ ca bhadre
No centro do pīṭha (assento sagrado), deve-se venerar devidamente Lakṣmī, designada pelo nome «Yamā»; e, no próprio centro de Yama, deve-se adorar a Devī. À direita do deus Yama, deve-se inclinar-se diante de Sūrya, que se manifesta como lâmpada, luz guia, ó auspiciosa (bhadre).
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instruction to Garuda)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Dharma is approached through correct nyāsa/placement and reverence to the regulating powers (Yama, Sūrya, Śrī/Lakṣmī as Yamā).
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as niyantṛ (cosmic regulator) manifesting as devatā-adhikāra over directions and functions.
Application: In ritual visualization, place/remember deities by direction and function; cultivate moral clarity (Sūrya as dīpa) before engaging with death/afterlife themes.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: ritual-mandala
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.24.93-96 (continuation of pīṭha/lotus-directional devatā-nyāsa)
FAQs
This verse frames Yama-related worship as a structured ritual mandala: Lakṣmī (as ‘Yamā’), the Goddess, and Sūrya are honored in specific positions to invoke auspicious order and guidance in rites connected with death and the afterlife.
By placing Sūrya as ‘dīpa-rūpa’ (lamp-like light) beside Yama, the verse symbolically emphasizes illumination and right guidance in the realm governed by Yama—suggesting that proper ritual alignment supports the departed’s orderly passage under cosmic law.
Maintain clarity and discipline in śrāddha/funeral observances—honor dharma (Yama) with reverence, keep ritual spaces orderly, and treat “light” (truth, guidance, remembrance) as central to ethical living and ancestral rites.