Shloka 15
Arrival at Yama’s cities: Citragupta’s scrutiny, Dharmadhvaja’s gate, and the necessity of dāna
धर्मराजस्य वचनान्मुक्तिर्भवति वा ततः / मानुष्यं तत्त्वतः प्राप्य स पुत्त्रः पुत्त्रतां व्रजेत्
dharmarājasya vacanānmuktirbhavati vā tataḥ / mānuṣyaṃ tattvataḥ prāpya sa puttraḥ puttratāṃ vrajet
Nhờ lời phán của Dharmarāja (Yama), sự giải thoát quả thật có thể xảy ra; nếu không, khi thật sự được sinh làm người, hữu tình ấy trở thành “người con” và đạt địa vị làm con (tái sinh trong một gia đình).
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Preta Kanda context)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Release may occur by Dharmarāja’s pronouncement; otherwise the jīva returns to human birth, entering lineage as a ‘son’ according to karmic allotment.
Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra under karma-niyama; conditional ‘mukti’ contrasted with continued embodiment and social identity (nāma-rūpa).
Application: Live so that one’s karmic account tends toward release: cultivate dharma, truthfulness, restraint, and remembrance of Hari; treat human birth as a rare opportunity rather than mere continuation of lineage.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: court/assembly
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama-sabhā descriptions and judgment of the dead (general parallel passages); Garuda Purana: teachings on human birth as a rare chance for dharma and mokṣa (general)
FAQs
This verse states that Yama’s judgement can culminate either in liberation or in the assignment of another human birth, highlighting Yama’s role as the cosmic adjudicator of karmic outcomes.
It presents two endpoints after judgement: release (mukti) or return to embodied existence, specifically a renewed human birth where the jīva enters family life as a child.
Live in alignment with dharma and ethical restraint, since post-death outcomes are framed as karmically assessed; cultivate conduct that supports liberation rather than repeated rebirth.