Even Yamaraj faces karma's law; transcendental knowledge, not birth, qualifies one to serve God.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.15 — June 4, 1974, Geneva 740604SB-GENEVA [26:16 Minutes] SB-01.13.15_740604SB-GENEVA Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.] abibhrad aryamā daṇḍaṁ yathāvad agha-kāriṣu yāvad dadhāra śūdratvaṁ śāpād varṣa-śataṁ yamaḥ [SB 1.13.15] [02:53] "As long as Vidura played the part of a śūdra, being cursed by Maṇḍūka Muni, Aryamā officiated at the post of Yamarāja to punish those who committed sinful acts." Prabhupāda: Hmm. abibhrad aryamā daṇḍaṁ yathāvad agha-kāriṣu yāvad dadhāra śūdratvaṁ śāpād varṣa-śataṁ yamaḥ [SB 1.13.15] So Vidura is Yamarāja, the superintendent of death. After our death, we are brought before the justice Yamarāja, what kind of next birth I may have.
So Yamarāja is not śūdra. He is devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, although he has the duty to punish the criminals. Just like a magistrate is always punishing the criminals; that is his business, but he is not criminal. He is giving judgment to the criminals.
Similarly, Yamarāja is the appointed magistrate, superintendent. After death, one has to go before him and take the judgment of his next life. This is the process. So Vidura was cursed by Maṇḍūka Muni, Maṇḍūka Muni. He was a great sage, but sometimes in his āśrama, some thieves were caught, so police arrested both the Maṇḍūka Muni and the thieves, and later on Maṇḍūka Muni was chastised to be punished by śūla.
There was a system of punishment, I do not whether still existing. The śūla means one lance, lancer. Lancer, it is called? Devotee: Yes. Prabhupāda: It was to be pierced through the rectum, and it will go through the head and the man will die. The pierce was standing, and he was to sit down.
What is this punishment? Is there any mention? Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I never heard of anything. Devotee: Arabians have this. It is called pala. Guru-gaurāṅga: He says that in Arabia they still have this. Prabhupāda: Arabia? Devotee: It is called pala. Prabhupāda: Śūla punishment. So when he was condemned to the śūla punishment, then the king heard that "Maṇḍūka Muni, the great sage, he is punished like that?" Immediately he stopped: "What is this nonsense that Maṇḍūka Muni has been punished?
He is a great sage." So the king stopped the punishment and immediately came to see what has happened. Then he was immediately released. But he was very sorry, that "Why the judge Yamarāja punished him like that?" So he asked Yamarāja, "Why you have punished me like this?" "Now, in your childhood you pierced the rectum of an ant with a...," what is called? Devotees: Pin, straw. Prabhupāda: No, not straw. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Piece of grass. Prabhupāda: Prick, pricking? Devotee: Pin. Prabhupāda: Kāṇṭā, kāṇṭā.
We say kāṇṭā, that pricks. Devotees: Straw. Splinter. Prabhupāda: What is called? Devotees: Thorn. Prabhupāda: Ah, thorn, yes. So therefore he was punished. Now just see.