Shloka 5

यमस्य अधिकारभङ्गः — वैष्णवस्य लक्षणम्

Freedom from Yama through Hari-śaraṇāgati

Devanagari script

सर्वे चैते वशं यान्ति यमस्य भगवन् किल आयुषो ऽन्ते ततो यान्ति यातनास् तत्प्रचोदिताः

Transliteration

sarve caite vaśaṃ yānti yamasya bhagavan kila āyuṣo 'nte tato yānti yātanās tatpracoditāḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่ผู้ควรบูชา กล่าวกันว่าเมื่ออายุขัยสิ้นสุด สรรพสัตว์ทั้งปวงย่อมตกอยู่ใต้อำนาจพระยม; แล้วถูกขับเคลื่อนด้วยบัญชาของท่าน จึงไปสู่ทัณฑ์ทรมานที่กำหนดไว้

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'all (beings)'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• वशम्: into subjection/control
• वशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• यान्ति: go/come
• यान्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (या प्रापणे/गत्यर्थे)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यमस्य: of Yama
• यमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• भगवन्: O venerable one
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रसिद्ध्यर्थ-निपात (particle: 'indeed/it is said')

• आयुषः: of life
• आयुषः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Temporal/Logical connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (ablatival adverb: 'then/from there')

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (या गत्यर्थे)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यातनाः: torments/punishments
• यातनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तत्प्रचोदिताः: impelled by him (Yama)
• तत्प्रचोदिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्-प्रचोदित (प्रातिपदिक; तत् + प्र + √चुद् (चुदँ प्रेरणे) + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: तेन (यमेन) प्रचोदिताः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Post-mortem judgment: Yama’s authority and the experience of yātanā (purifying torments)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: At life’s end, beings come under Yama’s governance and undergo consequences propelled by their karma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use mortality as impetus for ethical living, repentance, and steady devotional practice that purifies karma.

Vishishtadvaita: Moral order is real and administered within the Lord’s cosmos; karmaphala is not arbitrary but structured, urging surrender and righteous action.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the significance of Yama in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Yama as the universal authority who takes charge of beings at death and directs them toward consequences shaped by moral order and karma.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the post-death process here?

Parāśara states that at the end of one’s allotted lifespan, beings come under Yama’s jurisdiction and are then compelled toward “yātanā”—the suffered results that correspond to their deeds.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the framework assumes a Vishnu-governed cosmic order: Yama functions as an appointed regulator within that divine sovereignty, ensuring karmic justice in the world-cycle.