Shloka 12
Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya: Bhakti-Lakṣaṇa, Nārasiṁha-tīrtha, and the Secret Darśana-Vidhi of Śrīnivāsa
नृणां सर्वेषां श्रीनिवासो हरिस्तु कलौ स्वरूपं श्रीनिवासस्य देवी / न मानुषाः प्रविजानन्ति सर्वे यतः कलौ तामसा राजसास्तु
nṛṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ śrīnivāso haristu kalau svarūpaṃ śrīnivāsasya devī / na mānuṣāḥ pravijānanti sarve yataḥ kalau tāmasā rājasāstu
सर्व मनुष्यांसाठी हरि हाच श्रीनिवास आहे; आणि कलियुगात देवी ही श्रीनिवासाचीच साक्षात् स्वरूपमूर्ती आहे. तरीही सर्व लोक हे यथार्थ ओळखत नाहीत, कारण कलियुगात तमस व रजस गुण प्रबळ असतात.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Hari as Śrīnivāsa; Śrī (Devī/Lakṣmī) as His manifest embodiment in Kali; spiritual recognition is hindered by tamas and rajas.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-tattva and śakti-śaktimān relation; necessity of sattva for right knowledge (samyag-darśana).
Application: Cultivate sattva (purity, restraint, truthful living) and consciously honor Hari with Śrī (Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa upāsanā) rather than reducing devotion to mere social identity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.24.13-16 (rarity of true bhaktas; dispassion; definition of devotee; distinction of jīva and Hari)
FAQs
This verse frames Hari as the universal refuge (Śrīnivāsa) for all people, implying that clear recognition and devotion are central remedies in Kali-yuga when spiritual discernment declines.
It attributes people’s failure to recognize the divine (Hari and Devī) to the dominance of tamas and rajas—states that cloud understanding and fuel distraction and restlessness.
Cultivate sattva through disciplined worship, ethical living, and steady remembrance of Hari and Devī, so recognition (pravijñāna) replaces confusion driven by tamas and rajas.