Dharmaśarma

Dharmaśarma · dharma-śarman

Dharmaśarma is the third of the five sons of Śivaśarma, a brāhmaṇa householder of Dvārakā, in the Bhūmi Khaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa. His brother Vedaśarma was killed in the series of tests of pitṛ-bhakti (devotion to one’s father). After this, Dharmaśarma did hard tapas until Yamadharmarāja himself appeared before him.

Yama offered him any vara (a boon). Dharmaśarma first asked for steady pitṛ-bhakti. Then he asked for the life of Vedaśarma. Yama gave both.

The test through loss

Dharmaśarma’s test was not set from outside, as his brothers’ tests were. It came from the events themselves. His brother Vedaśarma had died, and Dharmaśarma was in deep grief.

He turned to tapas and to Yamadharmarāja, the deva most closely linked with dharma and with the justice of the results of karma. He did hard tapas until Yama was pleased, appeared before him and offered a vara. The Padma Purāṇa tells this in the Bhūmi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 2.

The vara: pitṛ-bhakti first

When Yama appeared and offered any vara, Dharmaśarma first asked for steady pitṛ-bhakti that never turns aside. This was the quality that his whole household was showing. Only after that did he ask for his brother’s life. Yama granted both.

Rise to Vishṇuloka

Vedaśarma was brought back to life. The other brothers, Vishṇuśarma and Somaśarma, then went through their own tests. After this, Dharmaśarma rose to Vishṇuloka with his brothers.

Sources

• Padma Purāṇa, Bhumi Khaṇḍa, Chapters 1–5