Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 6 Chapter 1:27-43

Book 6: Chapter 1

Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 6: Chapter 1: Verses 27-43 The introductory part of the story of Ajamila Thus continuing, the fool thought of his juvenile son, named Narayana, when the hour of death (actually) arrived. Beholding three most terrible male figures with wry faces and hair standing on end, that had come to take him, noose in hand, Ajamila, (greatly) agitated in mind, called by name his son, named Narayana, who was busy with (his) playthings away at (some) distance (from him), in a loud and lengthened tone. Hearing the loud utterance of Sri Hari's (blessed name by the dying man (Ajamila), who was calling (though unconsciously) the name of their Master (Bhagavan Narayana), O great king, His attendants rushed to the spot (there) all of a sudden. The messengers of Lord Visnu stopped by force the servants of Yama, that were (at that moment) tearing (the soul of) Ajamila, who had kept a maid-servant, from inside his heart. (Thus) forbidden, the servants of Yama said to them: "Who are you that (thus) interfere with the authority of Yama (the deity presiding over righteousness)? Whose representatives are you or whence have you come, and wherefore do you forbid his being taken away (by us)? Are you (some) gods or demigods or some foremost Siddhas (a class of demigods endowed with mystic powers by their very birth)? With eyes resembling the petals of a lotus and clad in yellow silk, you are all adorned with a diadem, a pair of ear-rings and a shining wreath of lotusesi Besides, you are all in the bloom of youth and all possessed of four lovely arms and graced with a bow, quiver, sword, mace, conch, discus and lotus. Driving away the darkness of the quarters and overshadowing (all) other (material) lights by your splendour, what for do you hinder us, the servants of Yama (the protector of virtue)?" Sri Suka continued : In reply to the aforesaid questions asked by those messengers of Yama, the servants of Lord Vasudeva heartily laughed and addressed the following (words) to them in a voice (deep) as the rumbling of clouds. The messengers of Visnu said : If you are really servants of Yama (the deity presiding over righteousness), (please) tell us the true character of virtue and also the means of ascertaining it. How is punishment meted out and who is intended to be its object? Are all the doers subject to punishment or (only) some (doers) of the human species? The messengers of Yama replied : Dharma (righteousness) is (that which is) enjoined by the Veda and the reverse of it (that which is forbidden by the Veda) is Adharma (unrighteousness). And we have heard (from Yama and others) that the Veda is Bhagavan Narayana Himself (from whom it has emanated) and self-born (in the sense that it flows from His nostrils by way of respiration without any conscious effort on His part). It is by Narayana that all these existences (living beings) made up of (the three modes of Prakrti, viz.,) Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, are duly evolved in His own being with (their distinctive) qualities, denominations, activities and forms. The sun, the fire, the sky, the air, the lndriyas (the senses of perception and the organs of action), the moon, the morning and evening twilights, day and night, the (four) quarters, water, the earth, Time and Dharma (the god of piety)-these indeed are the witnesses of (the good and evil actions of) a Jiva (an embodied soul). Unrighteousness as ascertained by (the evidence of) these are determined to be a fit occasion for punishment. And all doers (without distinction) deserve punishment in consideration of their (sinful) actions.