Shloka 21
The Greatness of the Viṣṇu-pañcaka
Five-Day Kārttika Observance
आगता ज्ञातयः क्रुद्धास्तस्य पापपरायणम् । ज्ञातय ऊचुः । रे रे मूढ दुराचार विनाशं प्रतिनीयते । या प्रतिष्ठार्जिता पूर्वैरस्माकं निर्मलेऽन्वये
āgatā jñātayaḥ kruddhāstasya pāpaparāyaṇam | jñātaya ūcuḥ | re re mūḍha durācāra vināśaṃ pratinīyate | yā pratiṣṭhārjitā pūrvairasmākaṃ nirmale'nvaye
Seine Verwandten kamen, erzürnt über jenen Mann, der der Sünde ergeben war. Die Angehörigen sprachen: „He, he, du Tor von üblem Wandel—du führst uns ins Verderben! Der gute Ruf, den unsere Vorfahren in unserem reinen Geschlecht erworben haben…“
The relatives/kinsmen (jñātayaḥ)
Concept: Adharma in one member can threaten the moral capital (pratiṣṭhā) of the whole lineage; communal responsibility and self-restraint protect dharma.
Application: Guard reputation through ethical conduct; accept correction; choose satsanga over habits that normalize wrongdoing.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A group of stern kinsmen confronts a wayward man at the threshold of a courtyard, their faces flushed with righteous anger and fear of dishonor. Behind them, ancestral portraits and a sacred household lamp suggest inherited virtue now endangered, while the accused stands defiant yet shaken.","primary_figures":["angry kinsmen (jñātayaḥ)","the sinful man (pāpa-parāyaṇa)","ancestral presence (pitṛ-s) implied"],"setting":"a traditional Brahmin household courtyard with a tulasi platform in the background, ancestral emblems, and a doorway marking social exclusion","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep vermilion","smoke gray","antique gold","indigo shadow","ivory parchment"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a dramatic family confrontation in a South Indian courtyard, kinsmen with expressive eyes and raised hands admonishing a dissolute man; gold leaf highlights on ancestral frames, sacred lamp, and jewelry; rich reds/greens, ornate borders, traditional iconographic symmetry, embossed gold for the ‘pratiṣṭhā’ motif (ancestral honor).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined figures in a courtyard with delicate gestures of reproach, cool shadows and lyrical architecture; subtle facial expressions showing anger mixed with sorrow; fine linework, muted reds and indigos, a small tulasi altar and ancestral scrolls in the background, Himalayan-style compositional clarity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, large expressive eyes, kinsmen in dynamic admonishing poses; warm red/yellow/green pigments; stylized courtyard pillars, oil lamp glow, and a symbolic tulasi pedestal; emphasis on moral drama through posture and hand mudrās.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panel with ornate floral borders and lotus motifs; the family honor theme shown through a central lamp and garlanded ancestral emblem; deep blues and gold accents; peacocks at the border, and a small Viṣṇu symbol (śaṅkha-cakra) subtly indicating the vrata-bhakti backdrop."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sharp hand-claps of admonition","household silence after rebuke","distant temple bell","low murmurs of relatives"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kruddhāstasya = kruddhāḥ + tasya; jñātaya ūcuḥ = jñātayaḥ + ūcuḥ; nirmale'nvaye = nirmale + anvaye.
FAQs
The speaker is the group of relatives (jñātayaḥ), who rebuke a family member described as devoted to sin.
The verse stresses that immoral behavior can bring ruin not only upon an individual but also upon the standing and reputation of an entire family lineage built by ancestors.
Pratiṣṭhā represents the inherited social and moral capital of a “pure lineage”; the relatives fear that the wrongdoer’s conduct will destroy what earlier generations established.