Text 38]
The History of the Life of Ajāmila
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TEXT 38
श्रीविष्णुदूता ऊत्रः
यूयं वै धर्मराजस्य यदि निर्देशकारिणः । 
  ब्रूत धर्मस्य नस्तत्त्वं यच्चाधर्मस्य लक्षणम् ॥३८॥
śrī-viṣṇudūtā ūcuḥ 
  yūyam vai dharma-rājasya 
  yadi nirdeśa-kāriṇaḥ 
  brūta dharmasya nas tattvam 
  yac cādharmasya lakṣaṇam
śrī-viṣṇudūtāḥ ūcuḥ—the blessed messengers of Lord Viṣṇu spoke; yūyam—all of you; vai—indeed; dharma-rājasya—of King Yamarāja, who knows the religious principles; yadi—if; nirdeśa-kāriṇaḥ—order carriers; brūta—just speak; dharmasya—of religious principles; nah—unto us; tattvam—the truth; yat—that which; ca—also; adharmasya—of impious activities; lakṣaṇam—symptoms.
TRANSLATION
The blessed messengers of Lord Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇudūtas, said: If you are actually servants of Yamarāja, you must explain to us the meaning of religious principles and the symptoms of irreligion.
PURPORT
This inquiry by the Viṣṇudūtas to the Yamadūtas is most important. A servant must know the instructions of his master. The servants of Yamarāja claimed to be carrying out his orders, and therefore the Viṣṇudūtas very intelligently asked them to explain the symptoms of religious and irreligious principles. A Vaiṣṇava knows these principles perfectly well because he is well acquainted with the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord says,  sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇam vraja : “Give up all other varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” Therefore surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the actual principle of religion. Those who have surrendered to the principles of material nature instead of to