Shloka 21
Means of Liberation in Kali-yuga: Satsanga, Hearing Kṛṣṇa-kathā, and the Marks of a Vaiṣṇava
हिंसादंभकामक्रोधैर्वर्जिताश्चैव ये नराः । लोभमोहपरित्यक्ता ज्ञेयास्ते वैष्णवा द्विज
hiṃsādaṃbhakāmakrodhairvarjitāścaiva ye narāḥ | lobhamohaparityaktā jñeyāste vaiṣṇavā dvija
يا برهمن، أولئك الذين تبرّؤوا من العنف والرياء والشهوة والغضب، وتركوا الطمع والضلالة—فاعلم أنهم هم الڤايشنڤا.
Unspecified (narrative voice addressing a brāhmaṇa as 'dvija')
Concept: A Vaiṣṇava is recognized by moral purification: nonviolence, sincerity, mastery over lust and anger, and freedom from greed and delusion.
Application: Daily audit of triggers: reduce harm in speech/action, practice truthful simplicity, adopt anger-cooling disciplines (japa, breath, pause), and limit consumption that feeds lobha/moha.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A calm Vaiṣṇava devotee sits in meditation beside a still lotus pond; around him, symbolic figures of anger and greed appear as fading shadows, unable to approach. His forehead bears ūrdhva-puṇḍra, and a soft conch-and-chakra aura suggests inner alignment with Viṣṇu’s order.","primary_figures":["meditating Vaiṣṇava devotee","symbolic personifications of krodha/lobha/moha (shadowy, dissolving)","Vishnu (subtle aura symbols)"],"setting":"Quiet hermitage garden with lotus pond, tulasi shrubs, simple thatched hut, deer and birds nearby.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pale gold","lotus pink","sage green","smoke grey","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central meditating devotee with tulasi-mālā and ūrdhva-puṇḍra, seated on a lotus pedestal; gold leaf halo with conch and chakra motifs; surrounding vices shown as small dark figures retreating; rich crimson and emerald accents, ornate border with lotus vines.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene garden by a lotus pond at dawn, delicate flora and fauna; devotee’s calm face rendered with refined lines; shadowy vices fade into mist; cool blues and greens with gentle pink highlights.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: devotee in yogic posture with bold outlines; symbolic krodha/lobha as stylized dark forms at the margins; warm yellow-red background gradients, green foliage, iconic eye shapes and temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus-seat devotee framed by elaborate lotus borders; peacocks and cows in calm poses; deep blue field with gold floral filigree; conch-chakra motifs repeated as pattern, vices depicted as fading dark motifs at corners."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing water","birds","tanpura drone","soft hand cymbals (manjira)","long pauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हिंसादंभकामक्रोधैः = हिंसा + दंभ + काम + क्रोधैः (समाहार/समुच्चय; तृतीया बहुवचन); वर्जिताः च एव → वर्जिताश्चैव; ज्ञेयाः ते → ज्ञेयास्ते.
FAQs
It defines a Vaiṣṇava by ethical purification: freedom from हिंसा (violence), दम्भ (hypocrisy), काम (lust), क्रोध (anger), and the abandonment of लोभ (greed) and मोह (delusion).
The verse teaches that devotion is validated by character—especially non-violence, sincerity, and mastery over inner enemies like desire, anger, greed, and delusion.
It presents bhakti as inseparable from virtues: a devotee of Viṣṇu is recognized not merely by ritual identity but by transformed conduct and inner detachment.