Shloka 26
Means to Liberation: Supremacy of Hari, Proper Salutations, and Purāṇic Authority
इहापरत्रापि सुखेतराणि दास्यन्ति पश्चादधरं वै तमश्च / अतो ह्येते नैव पूज्या न नम्या मोक्षेच्छुभिर्ब्राह्मणाद्यैर्द्विजेन्द्र
ihāparatrāpi sukhetarāṇi dāsyanti paścādadharaṃ vai tamaśca / ato hyete naiva pūjyā na namyā mokṣecchubhirbrāhmaṇādyairdvijendra
Di dunia ini dan juga di alam kemudian, mereka menganugerahkan bukan kebahagiaan melainkan penderitaan; dan akhirnya menjerumuskan seseorang ke dalam kegelapan yang lebih rendah. Oleh itu, wahai yang terbaik antara kaum dwija, para pencari mokṣa—sama ada brāhmaṇa atau yang lain—tidak patut memuja dan tidak patut menunduk kepada mereka.
Lord Vishnu
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Certain worship leads to suffering in this life and the next and drags one into lower darkness; seekers of liberation should avoid reverence toward such objects of worship.
Vedantic Theme: Viveka (discrimination) between the Supreme refuge and lower, binding pursuits; bondage through misdirected upāsanā.
Application: Audit one’s spiritual aims: if seeking liberation, avoid practices that intensify attachment, fear, or harmful outcomes; choose sādhana aligned with mokṣa.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: metaphysical state
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: admonitions that misdirected worship yields duḥkha and lower states (thematic); Garuda Purana: mokṣa-oriented counsel to dvijas (thematic)
FAQs
This verse states that certain forms of reverence lead to suffering both here and in the afterlife, ultimately pulling the person into “lower darkness,” so liberation-seekers should avoid them.
It links one’s chosen objects of worship and conduct with post-death destinations: harmful or misguided devotion yields suffering and a downward movement into darker realms rather than progress toward moksha.
Choose practices that cultivate clarity, ethics, and devotion aligned with liberation; avoid rituals or allegiances that increase fear, harm, intoxication, or moral decline, since they shape both character now and outcomes later.