किंदेवतोऽस्यां दक्शिणायां दिश्यसीति; यमदेवत इति; स यमः कस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठित इति; यज्ञ इति; कस्मिन्नु यज्ञः प्रतिष्ठित इति; दक्शिणायामिति; कस्मिन्नु दक्शिणा प्रतिष्ठितेति; श्रद्धायामिति, यदा ह्येव श्रद्धत्तेऽथ दक्शिणां ददाति, श्रद्धायां ह्येव दक्शिणा प्रतिष्ठितेति; कस्मिन्नु श्रद्धा प्रतिष्ठितेति; हृदय इति होवाच, हृदयेन हि श्रद्धां जानाति हृदये ह्येव श्रद्धा प्रतिष्ठिता भवतीति; एवमेवैतद्याज्ञवल्क्य ॥ २१ ॥
kiṃdevato’syāṃ dakśiṇāyāṃ diśyasīti; yamadevata iti; sa yamaḥ kasminpratiṣṭhita iti; yajña iti; kasminnu yajñaḥ pratiṣṭhita iti; dakśiṇāyāmiti; kasminnu dakśiṇā pratiṣṭhiteti; śraddhāyāmiti, yadā hyeva śraddhatte’tha dakśiṇāṃ dadāti, śraddhāyāṃ hyeva dakśiṇā pratiṣṭhiteti; kasminnu śraddhā pratiṣṭhiteti; hṛdaya iti hovāca, hṛdayena hi śraddhāṃ jānāti hṛdaye hyeva śraddhā pratiṣṭhitā bhavatīti; evamevaitadyājñavalkya || 21 ||
21. ‘What deity are you identified with in the south?’ ‘With the deity, Yama (the god of justice).’ ‘On what does Yama rest?’ ‘On the sacrifice.’ ‘On what does the sacrifice rest?’
‘On the remuneration (of the priests).’ ‘On what does the remuneration rest?’ ‘On faith, because whenever a man -has faith, he gives remuneration to the priests; therefore it is on faith that the remuneration rests.’ ‘On what does faith rest?’ ‘On the heart,’ said Yājñavālkya, ‘for one knows faith through the heart; therefore it is on the heart that faith rests.’ ‘It is just so, Yājñavalkya.’
‘What deity are you identified with in the south?’ etc., should be explained as before: Who is your deity in the south? ‘With the deity, Yama—I am the south, and Yama is my deity.’ ‘On what does Yama rest?’ eOn the sacrifice.’ Yama together with the south rests on the sacrifice, his cause. How can Yama be the effect of a sacrifice? This is being answered: The priests officiate in the sacrifice, and the sacrificer redeems it from them by means of the remuneration, and wins the south together with Yama through that sacrifice. Hence Yama, being its effect, rests on the sacrifice, together with the south. ‘On what does the sacrifice rest?’ ‘On the remuneration (of the priests).’ The sacrifice is redeemed through the remuneration; therefore it is the effect of the remuneration. ‘On what does the remuneration rest?’ ‘On faith.’ ‘Faith’ means liberality—faith in the Vedas coupled with devotion. How does the remuneration rest on faith? ‘Because whenever a man has faith, he gives remuneration to the priests; if he has no faith, he does not give it. Therefore it is on faith that the remuneration rests.’ ‘On what does faith rest?’ ‘On the heart.’ said Yājñavalkya, ‘faith is a modification of the heart, for one knows faith through the heart, and a modification rests on that which has it; therefore it is on the heart that faith rests.’ ‘It is just so, Yājñavalkya.’