YamASTaka

(NarasiMha PurANa 9)

vyAsa uvAca

sva puruSam abhivIkSya pAZa hastaM

vadati yamaH kila tasya karNe mUle

parihara madhusUdana prapannAn

prabhur aham anya nRnAm na vaiSNavAnAm /1

Vyasa said: Yama having seen his servant ready to move somewhere with the pasa (cord) in his hand, said into his ears - ‘Dear messenger, my sovereignty covers the creatures other than Vaisnavas. Hence, leave the people sheltered under Lord Madhusudana.‘

aham amaragaNArcitena dhAtrA

yama iti lokahitAhitena yuktaH

hari guru vimukhAn praZAsmi martyan

hari caraNa praNatAn namaskaremi /2

Lord Brahma has employed me for taking into consideration the account of the good and bad deeds performed/commited by the people, and thus, addressed me as Yama. Only the people not obedient/devoted to the teacher and Visnu are governed by me. I myself salute the people who bow their heads before the lotus feet of Sri Hari.

sugatim abhilaSAmi vAsudevA

daham api bhAgavate sthitAntarAtmA

madhu vadhavaZago ‘smi na svatantraH

prabhavati samyamane mamApi kRSNaH /3

By taking special care for the devotee towards God and on remembering their penance performed, I also wish to a suitable position from Lord Vasudeva. I am enslaved to Madhusudana and nowhere independent. Lord Krsna is capable enough to control me.

bhagavati vimukhasya nAsti siddhir

viSam amRtam bhavatIti nedamasti

varSa Zatam apIha pacyamAnaM

vrajati na kAncanatAmayaH kadAcit /4

The person opposing God cannot achieve siddhi (salvation). The poison cannot anyway turn into nectar, the iron cannot be converted into gold even if the same is thrown into a furnace for many hundred years.

na hi ZaZi kaluSa cchaviH kadAcit

viramati no ravitAm upaiti candraH

bhagavati ca harAv ananya cetA

bhRZa-malino 'pi virAjate manuSyaH /5

The moon similarly cannot be absolved from the scare [scar?], i.e. it cannot illumine like the sun. However, the exclusive devotee of Lord Visnu attains to honour and prestige in spite of being dirty in body.

mahad suvicArya lokatattvaM

bhagavad upAsti mRte na siddhir asti

suraguru sudRDha prasAdadau tau

hari caranau smaratApavarga hetoH /6

On going over the essence of the world it is only ascertained that no achievement can be obtained but by the worship of God. You are therefore advised to bring constantly in memory the feet of God for emancipation as these feet had graced the devaguru (Brhaspati).

Zubham idam upalabhya mAnuSatvaM

sukRta Zatena vRthendriyArtha hetoH

ramayati kurute na mokSa mArga

dahayati candanam AZu bharam ahetoH /7

The people indulge redundantly in the pleasures of wordly affairs, only to destroy the opportunity for utilisation of human body so received as a result of hundreds of great deeds performed in the phase of previous life. The people not following the path of emancipation act as if someone pumps air to the sandalwood for getting its ashes.

mukulita kara kuDmalaiH surendraiH

satata namaskRta pAda paNkajo yaH

avihata gataye sanAtanAya

jagati janim harate namo ‘grajAya /8

Ceaseless salutations to Sanatana Purusa, Lord Visnu, who destroys the cycle of birth and death, whose ever dynamic paces do not know rest and whose lotus feet are worshiped with clasped hands by devas.

yamASTakam idam punyam

paThate yaH ZRNoti vA

mucyate sarva pApebhyo

viSNulokaM sa gacchati /9

Vyasa said: The person either going over or listening to this sacred Yamastaka attains to the abode of Visnu and all his vices are absolved.

itIdam uktam yama vAkyam uttamaM

mayAdhunA te hari bhavita varddhanam

punaH pravakSyAmi purAtanIm katham

bhRgos tu pautreNa ca yA purA kRtA /10

This great preaching of Yama which increases devotion to Lord Visnu has been described by me to you all. Now, I will again highlight the precedent story i.e. the activities performed by Markandeya, the grandson of Bhrgu, in the ancient period.

iti ZrI narasiMhapurANe navamo ‘dhyAyaH /9

Thus ends the ninth chapter on Yamastaka in Sri Nrsimha Purana.

Parimal Publications, Delhi 2003, ISBN 81-71110-222-9

edited and translated: Joshi K. L. Shastry, Dr. Bindiya Trivedi

Sanskrit-English transliteration and minor edits: bh. Jan

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