Shloka 33

The Greatness of the Viṣṇu-pañcaka

Five-Day Kārttika Observance

Devanagari script

य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या चाख्यानं पापनाशनम् । कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं तस्य नश्यति तत्क्षणात्

Transliteration

ya idaṃ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā cākhyānaṃ pāpanāśanam | koṭijanmārjitaṃ pāpaṃ tasya naśyati tatkṣaṇāt

Translation

この罪を滅する聖なる物語を信心をもって聴く者は、千万の生に積んだ罪さえも、その瞬間に滅び去る。

Word by Word

• yaḥ: whoever
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• śṛṇuyāt: should hear
• śṛṇuyāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु √श्रु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• ākhyānam: narrative, account
• ākhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• pāpa-nāśanam: sin-destroying
• pāpa-nāśanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (pāpasya nāśanam) विशेषणरूपेण ākhyānam् प्रति

• koṭi-janma-arjitam: accumulated over crores of births
• koṭi-janma-arjitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + janman (प्रातिपदिक) + arjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √arj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (koṭi-janmabhiḥ arjitam) विशेषणम् pāpam् प्रति

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• naśyati: perishes, is destroyed
• naśyati: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: naś (धातु √नश्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• tat-kṣaṇāt: immediately, at that very moment
• tat-kṣaṇāt: Apādāna (Ablative/source; time-point/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचनम्; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः ‘तत्क्षणात्’ = ‘तस्मिन् क्षणे एव’

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial voice within the Brahma-khaṇḍa context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: śṛṇuyādbhaktyā = śṛṇuyāt + bhaktyā; cākhyānam = ca + ākhyānam; koṭijanmārjitaṃ = koṭi-janma + arjitam (ā-sandhi); tatkṣaṇāt = tat + kṣaṇāt.

FAQs

What practice is praised in this verse?

The verse praises śravaṇa (devotional listening) to a sacred narrative (ākhyāna) as a powerful form of bhakti.

How does this verse emphasize the path of Bhakti?

It explicitly links devotion (bhaktyā) with transformative spiritual results, presenting sincere listening as sufficient to dissolve deep karmic burdens.

What is the ethical lesson conveyed here?

It teaches that inner receptivity and devotion—rather than mere ritualism—are central, and that turning toward dharma through sincere listening can reverse long-standing harmful tendencies.