Shloka 8
Arjuna meets the Lokapālas, is tested by Indra, and is led to Amarāvatī for astra-śikṣā
Indraloka-gamana
यमस्तु राजा धर्मज्ञ: सर्वप्राणभृतां प्रभु: । प्रेतसत्त्वगतिं होनां दक्षिणामाश्रितो दिशम्
yamastu rājā dharmajñaḥ sarvaprāṇabhṛtāṃ prabhuḥ | pretasattvagatiṃ hīnām dakṣiṇām āśrito diśam ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Yama, o rei conhecedor do dharma e soberano de todos os seres vivos, habita no quadrante do sul. Essa direção é tida como o caminho dos espíritos dos mortos—um curso inferior—acessível apenas aos que já morreram.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links Yama with dharma and universal sovereignty, presenting death and the afterlife as governed by moral order. The southern quarter symbolizes the route of the departed, reminding listeners that embodied life ends and that one’s course is framed within dharma.
Vaiśampāyana describes Yama’s status and abode: he is the dharma-knowing king over all living beings and is associated with the southern direction, characterized as the path/reach of the dead (preta), accessible only after death.