Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 51
Bhāgavata-Māhātmya and the Complete Summary of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
न यद् वचश्चित्रपदं हरेर्यशो जगत्पवित्रं प्रगृणीत कर्हिचित् । तद् ध्वाङ्क्षतीर्थं न तु हंससेवितं यत्राच्युतस्तत्र हि साधवोऽमला: ॥ ५१ ॥
na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit tad dhvāṅkṣa-tīrthaṁ na tu haṁsa-sevitaṁ yatrācyutas tatra hi sādhavo ’malāḥ
Worte, mögen sie noch so kunstvoll sein, die niemals den Ruhm Haris, des Läuterers des Universums, preisen, gleichen einem Wallfahrtsort für Krähen und werden nicht von Schwänen aufgesucht. Wo Acyuta ist, dort weilen die reinen Heiligen.
FAQs
This verse says such speech—however artistic—becomes a “dhvāṅkṣa-tīrtha,” a place enjoyed by crowlike tastes, because it does not purify the world by praising Hari’s fame.
In the Bhāgavatam’s devotional aesthetic, crows symbolize attraction to impure or mundane topics, while swans symbolize saints who relish pure spiritual essence; thus, speech without Hari-kathā fails to attract realized devotees.
Prioritize hearing, reading, and sharing content that increases remembrance of Krishna/Hari—kīrtana, scripture, and uplifting conversations—so your words and media diet become purifying rather than merely entertaining.