किंदेवतः अस्याम् दक्षिणायाम् दिशि असि इति यमदेवतः इति सः यमः कस्मिन् प्रतिष्ठितः इति यज्ञे इति कस्मिन् नु यज्ञः प्रतिष्ठितः इति दक्षिणायाम् इति कस्मिन् नु दक्षिणा प्रतिष्ठिता इति श्रद्धायाम् इति यदा हि एव श्रद्धत्ते अथ दक्षिणाम् ददाति श्रद्धायाम् हि एव दक्षिणा प्रतिष्ठिता इति कस्मिन् नु श्रद्धा प्रतिष्ठिता इति हृदये इति ह उवाच हृदयेन हि श्रद्धाम् हृदये हि एव श्रद्धा प्रतिष्ठिता भवति इति एवम् एव एतत् याज्ञवल्क्य
kiṃdevataḥ asyām dakṣiṇāyām diśi asi iti yamadevataḥ iti saḥ yamaḥ kasmin pratiṣṭhitaḥ iti yajñe iti kasmin nu yajñaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ iti dakṣiṇāyām iti kasmin nu dakṣiṇā pratiṣṭhitā iti śraddhāyām iti yadā hi eva śraddhatte atha dakṣiṇām dadāti śraddhāyām hi eva dakṣiṇā pratiṣṭhitā iti kasmin nu śraddhā pratiṣṭhitā iti hṛdaye iti ha uvāca hṛdayena hi śraddhām hṛdaye hi eva śraddhā pratiṣṭhitā bhavati iti evam eva etat yājñavalkya
"With what deity are you in the southern quarter?" — "With Yama." — "On what is Yama established?" — "On sacrifice." — "And sacrifice on what?" — "On the gift to the priests." — "And the gift on what?" — "On faith: when one has faith, then one gives the gift; on faith the gift is established." — "And faith on what?" — "On the heart," he said; "with the heart one knows faith; on the heart faith is established." — "Just so, Yājñavalkya!"
5f8eaa19b7ca · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:06:37 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The south is the quarter of Yama, lord of the departed, and his chain is deep in its own way: Yama stands on sacrifice (the order of the dead is upheld by offerings), sacrifice on the dakṣiṇā, the gift to the priests, and the gift on faith: yadā hy eva śraddhatte 'tha dakṣiṇāṁ dadāti — "when one has faith, then one gives". The economy of the sacred is laid bare to the bottom: without faith no gift, without a gift no sacrifice, without sacrifice no Yama himself.
And faith, like everything, rests on the heart. Death with its formidable judge turns out to be established on the same ground as sight and forms: on a believing heart. Whoever wants peace with the southern quarter — with the region of death — works not on rites but on the heart out of which they grow.