Shloka 4
Hari-Pūjā: Puruṣa-sūkta, Bhakti-Supremacy, and Consequences of Neglect
नरके पच्यमानस्तु यमेन परिभाषितः / किन्त्वया नार्चितो देवः केशवः क्लेशनाशनः
narake pacyamānastu yamena paribhāṣitaḥ / kintvayā nārcito devaḥ keśavaḥ kleśanāśanaḥ
Während du in der Hölle versengt wirst, tadelt dich Yama: „Und doch hast du Keśava, den Gott, der das Leid vernichtet, nicht verehrt.“
Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Garuda Purana dialogue)
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Worship of Keśava, the destroyer of suffering, is a decisive safeguard; neglect leads to hellish consequences and Yama’s censure.
Vedantic Theme: Bhagavān as the refuge (śaraṇya) whose grace counters kleśa; karma’s fruition is confronted when bhakti is absent.
Application: Adopt regular Keśava-arcana and nāma-smaraṇa; when facing hardship, turn to devotion rather than postponing worship until crisis or death.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: court/realm of punishment
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama’s questioning and the soul’s remorse as a recurring motif; Garuda Purana: statements that Hari-bhakti reduces or nullifies certain naraka experiences
FAQs
This verse frames devotion to Keśava as a direct antidote to suffering—Yama’s rebuke implies that neglecting Vishnu-bhakti leaves one exposed to the fruits of sin and torment after death.
It depicts a post-mortem accountability scene in Naraka where Yama confronts the soul; the moral emphasis is that spiritual neglect—specifically not honoring Keśava—becomes a decisive factor in one’s suffering.
Maintain regular Vishnu/Keśava worship (nāma-japa, pūjā, remembrance) alongside ethical living, treating devotion as a daily discipline that reduces karmic distress and strengthens dharmic conduct.