Shloka 9
Praise of Devotion to Viṣṇu
The Supremacy of Hari’s Name over All Tīrthas
प्रचंडं विकरालं तद्यमस्यास्यं न पश्यति । सकृत्प्रणामी कृष्णस्य मातुः स्तन्यं पिबेन्नहि
pracaṃḍaṃ vikarālaṃ tadyamasyāsyaṃ na paśyati | sakṛtpraṇāmī kṛṣṇasya mātuḥ stanyaṃ pibennahi
ഒരിക്കൽ പോലും ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണനോട് പ്രണാമം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ യമന്റെ പ്രചണ്ഡവും വികരാളവും ആയ മുഖം കാണുകയില്ല. നിശ്ചയമായി അവൻ വീണ്ടും കൃഷ്ണമാതാവിന്റെ സ്തന്യം കുടിക്കുകയില്ല.
Unspecified narrator (contextual speaker not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Even a single act of surrender (sakṛt-praṇāma) to Kṛṣṇa breaks fear of death’s judgment; bhakti overrides karmic terror.
Application: Cultivate at least one daily conscious bow (praṇāma) to Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu with sincerity; use it as a reset from anxiety and guilt into accountable devotion.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dark, stormy threshold of Yama’s court looms with iron gates and shadowy attendants, yet a single devotee bows with folded hands toward a radiant vision of Kṛṣṇa. The terrifying face of Yama fades into mist as Kṛṣṇa’s blue light expands, turning dread into calm certainty.","primary_figures":["Kṛṣṇa","Yama (shadowed, receding)","devotee (one-time bowing figure)","Yamadūtas (faint silhouettes)"],"setting":"Liminal space between a gloomy Yamaloka gate and a blossoming divine radiance; symbolic battlefield of fear and refuge.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance breaking through storm-darkness","color_palette":["midnight indigo","electric sapphire","smoky charcoal","molten gold","crimson ember"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kṛṣṇa standing in tribhaṅga with gold leaf aura and ornate crown, foreground devotee in praṇāma; background Yama’s fierce visage rendered in darker tones with embossed gold highlights on weapons fading away; rich reds, greens, and heavy gold embellishment emphasizing protection.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dramatic contrast—softly painted Kṛṣṇa glow against a dusky Yamaloka gate; delicate lines for the devotee’s bowed posture; misty mountains and clouds as metaphors, refined faces, restrained palette with luminous blue focal point.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized Yama with intense eyes in dark pigments, Kṛṣṇa in bright blue-green with yellow-red accents; devotee in simple pose; mural-like symmetry with protective aura motifs around Kṛṣṇa.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Kṛṣṇa centered with lotus and floral borders; the ‘fear’ elements stylized as dark cloud motifs at the edges; peacocks and lotuses reclaim the space as Yama recedes; deep blues and gold with intricate ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["distant thunder","conch shell","temple bells","sudden silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tadyamasyāsyaṃ → तत् + यमस्य + आस्यम्; sakṛtpraṇāmī → सकृत् + प्रणामी; pibennahi → पिबेत् + न + हि
FAQs
It states that even a single act of reverent obeisance to Kṛṣṇa protects a devotee from encountering Yama’s terrifying presence—symbolizing freedom from fear of death and punishment.
It is a poetic impossibility used for emphasis: just as one cannot literally return to infancy to drink Yaśodā’s milk, so too it is “certainly not” that a person who has once surrendered to Kṛṣṇa will fall back into Yama’s domain.
It elevates a simple devotional act—bowing once to Kṛṣṇa—as spiritually decisive, highlighting grace and devotion over complex ritual or austerity.