Shloka 29

Yamarāja Instructs the Yamadūtas: Supreme Authority, Mahājanas, and the Glory of the Holy Name

Devanagari script

जिह्वा न वक्ति भगवद्गुणनामधेयं चेतश्च न स्मरति तच्चरणारविन्दम् । कृष्णाय नो नमति यच्छिर एकदापि तानानयध्वमसतोऽकृतविष्णुकृत्यान् ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

jihvā na vakti bhagavad-guṇa-nāmadheyaṁ cetaś ca na smarati tac-caraṇāravindam kṛṣṇāya no namati yac-chira ekadāpi tān ānayadhvam asato ’kṛta-viṣṇu-kṛtyān

Translation

ดูก่อนทูตของเรา จงนำมาหาเราเฉพาะคนบาปผู้ที่ลิ้นไม่สรรเสริญพระนามและพระคุณของศรีกฤษณะ ผู้ที่ใจไม่ระลึกถึงดอกบัวแห่งพระบาทของพระองค์แม้สักครั้ง และผู้ที่ศีรษะไม่ก้มกราบพระกฤษณะแม้สักครา จงนำผู้ที่ไม่ปฏิบัติหน้าที่แห่งการรับใช้พระวิษณุมาเถิด

Synonyms

• jihvā: tongue
• jihvā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jihvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• vakti: speaks
• vakti: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhagavat-guṇa-nāmadheyam: the name(s) of the Lord’s qualities
• bhagavat-guṇa-nāmadheyam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāmadheya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्ध: 'भगवतः गुणानां नामधेयम्'

• cetaḥ: mind
• cetaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• smarati: remembers
• smarati: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• tat-caraṇa-aravindam: his lotus feet
• tat-caraṇa-aravindam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + aravinda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'तस्य चरणारविन्दम्'

• kṛṣṇāya: to Krishna
• kṛṣṇāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• naḥ: of us / our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• namati: bows
• namati: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• yat-śiraḥ: the head which
• yat-śiraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण-विशेष्यभाव: 'यत् शिरः' = 'which head'

• ekadā: even once
• ekadā: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ekadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• tān: those (persons)
• tān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ānayadhvam: bring (you all)
• ānayadhvam: Kriya (क्रिया/Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• asataḥ: of the wicked
• asataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• akṛta-viṣṇu-kṛtyān: those who have not performed duties toward Vishnu
• akṛta-viṣṇu-kṛtyān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-kṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); नञ्-तत्पुरुष: 'अकृतं विष्णोः कृत्यं येषां ते' (elliptic bahuvrīhi-sense used as noun)

Purport

The word viṣṇu-kṛtyān is very important in this verse because the purpose of human life is to please Lord Viṣṇu. Varṇāśrama-dharma is also meant for that purpose. As stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.8.9):

Characters & Entities

• Yamarāja
• Kṛṣṇa
• Viṣṇu
• Yamadūtas

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about who is eligible to be taken by the Yamadūtas?

This verse states that those who never chant the Lord’s names and qualities, never remember His lotus feet, never bow to Kṛṣṇa, and never perform service to Viṣṇu are to be brought by the Yamadūtas.

Why did Yamarāja say this to the Yamadūtas in Canto 6 Chapter 3?

After the Yamadūtas were checked by the Viṣṇudūtas in the Ajāmila episode, Yamarāja clarifies the proper scope of their authority: they should seize the non-devotional, sinful persons—not the devotees of the Lord.

Practical application of chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa in modern life?

Make daily space for nāma-japa or kīrtana, consciously remember the Lord’s feet through prayer, and cultivate humility (bowing) and service—these bhakti practices reshape the mind and protect one from degrading habits and fear at death.