Text 38] The History of the Life of Ajamila 33

TEXT 38

HAE FY?
2 A
qi fF qe ae Frearertio: |
AI THA Ae TAT SANT 113i
Sri-visnudita ticuh
yiyam vai dharma-rajasya
yadi nirdesa-karinah
briita dharmasya nas tattvarn
yac cadharmasya laksanam

Sri-visnudiitah ticuh—the blessed messengers of Lord Visnu spoke;
yuiyam—all of you; vai—indeed; dharma-rdjasya—of King Yamaraja,
who knows the religious principles; yadi—if; nirdesa-karinah—order
carriers; briita—just speak; dharmasya—of religious principles; nah—
unto us; fattvam—the truth; yat—that which; ca—also; adharmasya—
of impious activities; laksanam—symptoms.

TRANSLATION

The blessed messengers of Lord Visnu, the Visnuditas, said: If
you are actually servants of Yamaraja, you must explain to us the
meaning of religious principles and the symptoms of irreligion.

PURPORT

This inquiry by the Visnudiitas to the Yamaditas is most important. A
servant must know the instructions of his master. The servants of
Yamaraja claimed to be carrying out his orders, and therefore the
Visnuditas very intelligently asked them to explain the symptoms of
religious and irreligious principles. A Vaisnava knows these principles
perfectly well because he is well acquainted with the instructions of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord says, sarva-dhar-
man parityajya mam ekam Saranam 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
