Previous Verse
Next Verse

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

എത്ര മനോഹരമായി അലങ്കരിച്ച വാക്കുകളായാലും, ലോകത്തെ പവിത്രമാക്കുന്ന ഹരിയുടെ യശസ്സിനെ ഒരിക്കലും പാടാത്ത വാക്കുകൾ കാക്കകളുടെ തീർത്ഥംപോലെ; ഹംസന്മാർ അവിടെ എത്തുകയില്ല. അച്യുതൻ ഉള്ളിടത്താണ് നിർമല സാദുക്കൾ.

nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (particle of negation)
yatwhich
yat:
Karma (कर्म/relative object)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun: neut. nom./acc. sg.)
vacaḥspeech, words
vacaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootvacas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.)
citra-padamhaving variegated/ornate words
citra-padam:
Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of vacaḥ)
TypeAdjective
Rootcitra (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (neut. nom./acc. sg.)
hareḥof Hari
hareḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
TypeNoun
Roothari (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen. sg.)
yaśaḥglory
yaśaḥ:
Karma (कर्म/object of pragṛṇīta)
TypeNoun
Rootyaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)
jagat-pavitrampurifying the world
jagat-pavitram:
Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of yaśaḥ)
TypeAdjective
Rootjagat (प्रातिपदिक) + pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (jagataḥ pavitram) (neut. acc. sg.)
pragṛṇītashould praise/recite
pragṛṇīta:
Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootpra+gṛ (गॄ धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
karhicitever, at any time
karhicit:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/time)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkarhicit (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
tatthat (speech)
tat:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative: neut. nom./acc. sg.)
dhvāṅkṣa-tīrthama crow’s pilgrimage-place (haunt of crows)
dhvāṅkṣa-tīrtham:
Karta (कर्ता/predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootdhvāṅkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dhvāṅkṣasya tīrtham)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (negation)
tubut
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विरोध/विभेदार्थक (but, however)
haṁsa-sevitamfrequented by swans (saints)
haṁsa-sevitam:
Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of tīrtham implied)
TypeAdjective
Roothaṁsa (प्रातिपदिक) + sevita (सेव् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (haṁsānāṁ sevitam); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)
yatrawhere
yatra:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/place)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyatra (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)
acyutaḥAcyuta (the Lord)
acyutaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootacyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom. sg.)
tatrathere
tatra:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/place)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatra (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (there)
hiindeed
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphatic/causal particle)
sādhavaḥsaints
sādhavaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsādhu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)
amalāḥpure, spotless
amalāḥ:
Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of sādhavaḥ)
TypeAdjective
Rootamala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)
H
Hari
A
Acyuta

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.