FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.3.4

यमदूता ऊचु: कति सन्तीह शास्तारो जीवलोकस्य वै प्रभो । त्रैविध्यं कुर्वत: कर्म फलाभिव्यक्तिहेतव: ॥ ४ ॥
yamadūtā ūcuḥ
[yamadootaa oochuh]
kati santīha śāstāro
[kati santeeha shaastaaro]
jīva-lokasya vai prabho
[jeeva-lokasya vai prabho]
trai-vidhyaṁ kurvataḥ karma
[trai-vidhyam kurvatah karma]
phalābhivyakti-hetavaḥ
[phalaabhivyakti-hetavah]
Word-for-word
yamadūtāḥ ūcuḥ — the order carriers of Yamarāja said kati — how many santi — are there iha — in this world śāstāraḥ — controllers or rulers jīva-lokasya — of this material world vai — indeed prabho — O master trai-vidhyam — under the three modes of material nature kurvataḥ — performing karma — activity phala — of the results abhivyakti — of the manifestation hetavaḥ — causes.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yamadūtā ūcuḥ
yamadūtāḥ ūcuḥ
the order carriers of Yamarāja said
kati santīha śāstāro
kati
how many
santi
are there
iha
in this world
śāstāraḥ
controllers or rulers
jīva-lokasya vai prabho
jīva-lokasya
of this material world
vai
indeed
prabho
O master
trai-vidhyaṁ kurvataḥ karma
trai-vidhyam
under the three modes of material nature
kurvataḥ
performing
karma
activity
phalābhivyakti-hetavaḥ
phala
of the results
abhivyakti
of the manifestation
hetavaḥ
causes.
The Yamadūtas said: Our dear lord, how many controllers or rulers are there in this material world? How many causes are responsible for manifesting the various results of activities performed under the three modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa]?
Purport

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that the Yamadūtas, the order carriers of Yamarāja, were so disappointed that they asked their master, almost in great anger, whether there were many masters other than him. Furthermore, because the Yamadūtas had been defeated and their master could not protect them, they were inclined to say that there was no need to serve such a master. If a servant cannot carry out the orders of his master without being defeated, what is the use of serving such a powerless master?

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The servants of Yama said: O master! How many controllers of the jīvas are there in this world, who are causes of manifesting results for action for the jīvas performing action in the three guṇas? “Though we defeat all others in the world, we have suffered defeat from the four persons with four arms. After punishing them, we will then bring Ajāmila to hell. If we cannot do so, we are servants of a fire fly. After this, we can no longer serve.” Thinking in this way internally, with choked syllables, they then challenged Yamarāja. Traividyam means “three types.”
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The Yamadūtas ask whether there are many cosmic rulers, many causes of karmic results. Their question is sincere — they are willing to revise their entire model of the universe.
Reflection Questions
  • Am I willing to update my model of how things work when reality contradicts it?
  • Where am I holding onto a worldview just because it has been mine for a long time?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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