अथाऽऽगत्य यमं मृत्युरपृच्छत्संशयच्छिदम् । किमित्यहं न शक्नोमि भोक्तुमाकाशजं विभो ॥ ९ ॥
athā’’gatya yamaṁ mṛtyurapṛcchatsaṁśayacchidam | kimityahaṁ na śaknōmi bhōktumākāśajaṁ vibhō || 9 ||
Translation
Then Death went to Yama, who cuts doubts, and asked: "Why, lord, can I not eat Ākāśaja?"
Word by word
- atha
- then
- āgatya
- went
- yamaṁ
- to Yama
- mṛtyur
- (mṛtyuḥ) Death
- apṛcchat
- asked
- saṁśaya
- doubts
- chidam
- who cuts
- kim
- why
- iti
- "
- ahaṁ
- I
- na
- not
- śaknōmi
- can
- bhōktum
- eat
- ākāśajaṁ
- Ākāśaja
- vibhō
- lord
Meaning
Yama, the lord of the dead and the king of dharma, is Death's master; Death only carries out what Yama's order allows. When the servant meets what his work cannot touch, he goes to the one who knows why. The verse calls Yama the cutter of doubts: the question will be answered not by more force but by understanding.