Shloka 35
Viṣṇu-sahasranāma—Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Recitation (विष्णोर्नामसहस्रम्)
Devanagari script
उवाच देवता: सर्वा: पितंश्चैव महाद्युति: । श्रुतं हि चित्रगुप्तस्य धर्मगुहूं महात्मन:
Transliteration
uvāca devatāḥ sarvāḥ pitṝṁś caiva mahādyutiḥ | śrutaṁ hi citraguptasya dharmaguhūṁ mahātmanaḥ ||
Translation
光辉灿然者（阎摩）对诸天与诸祖灵（Pitṛ）说道：“我确已听闻大魂画录官质多罗笈多所传那深奥而严密守护的法（Dharma）之教。”
Word by Word
उवाचsaid/spoke
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
Formलिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथम, एकवचन
देवताःthe deities
देवताः:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootदेवता
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
सर्वाःall
सर्वाः:
कर्म
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
पितॄन्the fathers/ancestors (Pitṛs)
पितॄन्:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
एवindeed/also
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
महाद्युतिःthe greatly radiant one
महाद्युतिः:
कर्ता
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाद्युति
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
श्रुतम्has been heard / is heard
श्रुतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
चित्रगुप्तस्यof Chitragupta
चित्रगुप्तस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootचित्रगुप्त
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
धर्मगुहुम्Dharmaguha (name/title)
धर्मगुहुम्:
कर्म
TypeNoun
Rootधर्मगुह
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
महात्मनःof the great-souled one
महात्मनः:
TypeAdjective
Rootमहात्मन्
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
Speaker
यम उवाच
Characters & Entities
Y
YamaD
Devatāḥ (the gods)P
Pitṛs (ancestral spirits)C
CitraguptaD
Dharma (as principle/teaching)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
That Dharma is a profound, carefully preserved moral law, and even cosmic authorities like Yama acknowledge instruction grounded in accurate moral accounting (associated with Citragupta).
Yama, described as radiant, addresses the assembled gods and ancestral Pitṛs, stating that he has heard a deep, guarded exposition of Dharma attributed to the great-souled Citragupta.