Shloka 19
Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya: Bhakti-Lakṣaṇa, Nārasiṁha-tīrtha, and the Secret Darśana-Vidhi of Śrīnivāsa
तद्भक्तानां द्वेषणं चाहुरार्यास्तद्वाक्यानां दूषणं द्वेष एव / नच द्वेषैः संयुता ये च लोके कन्ये दृश्यन्ते न तु भक्ताः कदाचित्
tadbhaktānāṃ dveṣaṇaṃ cāhurāryāstadvākyānāṃ dūṣaṇaṃ dveṣa eva / naca dveṣaiḥ saṃyutā ye ca loke kanye dṛśyante na tu bhaktāḥ kadācit
Para mulia menyatakan: membenci para bhakta-Nya, dan mencela ucapan mereka, itu pun hanyalah kebencian. Wahai gadis, orang yang bersatu dengan kebencian memang tampak di dunia; tetapi bhakta sejati tidak pernah demikian.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra; the verse includes a vocative 'kanye' as a textual address)
Concept: Hatred toward Viṣṇu’s devotees and disparagement of their words is itself dveṣa; genuine devotees are characterized by absence of such envy and fault-finding.
Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as purification of antaḥkaraṇa through amātsarya (non-envy) and sat-saṅga; the Lord is approached through honoring His devotees.
Application: Practice bhakta-sammāna: refrain from gossip and doctrinal nitpicking aimed at devotees; when disagreement arises, speak with respect and focus on shared devotion.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.24.17-18 (dveṣa as pride and bheda-buddhi toward Viṣṇu); Garuda Purana 3.24.20-21 (transition to exemplars like Prahlāda)
FAQs
This verse treats hatred of devotees and fault-finding in their words as the same core vice—dveṣa—implying it obstructs genuine devotion and dharmic conduct.
By defining malice toward devotees as a serious inner impurity, the verse frames speech and intention as karmically formative—purifying them is part of preparing for a safer post-death journey described in the Preta Kanda.
Avoid slander and hostile criticism of sincere practitioners; practice restraint in speech, interpret others charitably, and correct disagreements without contempt.