Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for MankindChapter 3: Yamarāja Instructs His Messengers

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.3.17

tasyātma-tantrasya harer adhīśituh

parasya māyādhipater mahātmanah

prāyena dūtā iha vai manoharāś

caranti tad-rūpa-guna-svabhāvāh

SYNONYMS

tasya — of Him; ātma-tantrasya — being self-sufficient, not dependent on any other person; hareh — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adhīśituh — who is the master of everything; parasya — the Transcendence; māyā-adhipateh — the master of the illusory energy; mahā-ātmanah — of the Supreme Soul; prāyena — almost; dūtāh — the order carriers; ihain this world; vai — indeed; manoharāh — pleasing in their dealings and bodily features; caranti — they move; tat — of Him; rūpa — possessing the bodily features; guna — the transcendental qualities; svabhāvāh — and nature.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-sufficient and fully independent. He is the master of everyone and everything, including the illusory energy. He has His form, qualities and features; and similarly His order carriers, the Vaishnavas, who are very beautiful, possess bodily features, transcendental qualities and a transcendental nature almost like His. They always wander within this world with full independence.

PURPORT

Yamarāja was describing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, but the order carriers of Yamarāja were very eager to know about the Vishnudūtas, who had defeated them in their encounter with Ajāmila. Yamarāja therefore stated that the Vishnudūtas resemble the Supreme Personality of Godhead in their bodily features, transcendental qualities and nature. In other words, the Vishnudūtas, or Vaishnavas, are almost as qualified as the Supreme Lord. Yamarāja informed the Yamadūtas that the Vishnudūtas are no less powerful than Lord Vishnu. Since Vishnu is above Yamarāja, the Vishnudūtas are above the Yamadūtas. Persons protected by the Vishnudūtas, therefore, cannot be touched by the Yamadūtas.

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