Shloka 14
Kālin̄dī’s Austerity; True Tapas and Prāyaścitta; Kṛṣṇa’s Grace and Marriage
दग्धौ च पादौ मम वासुदेव न गच्छन्तौ क्षेत्रपथं हरेश्च / नेत्रे च दग्धे मम सर्वदापि नालोकितं तव देव प्रतीकम्
dagdhau ca pādau mama vāsudeva na gacchantau kṣetrapathaṃ hareśca / netre ca dagdhe mama sarvadāpi nālokitaṃ tava deva pratīkam
हे वासुदेव, मम पादौ दग्धौ; हरेः क्षेत्रपथं गन्तुं न शक्नुतः। मम नेत्रेऽपि दग्धे; अतः कदापि तव देव प्रतीकं नालोकितम्।
A suffering departed soul (preta/jīva) addressing Lord Vishnu (Vāsudeva/Hari)
Concept: Neglect of pilgrimage and darshana is framed as self-inflicted deprivation; devotion seeks embodied participation—walking the sacred path and seeing the Lord’s form.
Vedantic Theme: Bhagavan’s saguna-rupa as an accessible support (alambana) for devotion; the grace-mediated restoration of spiritual ‘sight’.
Application: Prioritize regular temple darshana and tirtha-yatra when possible; if physically unable, cultivate inner darshana through japa, visualization, and service; treat the icon as a living focus of remembrance.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha/kshetra-marga
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: praise of Vishnu-ksetras and merit of darshana; Garuda Purana: bhakti as antidote to suffering
FAQs
This verse highlights darśana as a spiritual opportunity that can be lost through suffering and impairment; beholding Hari’s divine form is portrayed as a blessing that supports devotion and liberation.
It depicts a distressed post-death condition where the being is unable to perform meritorious acts like visiting holy places or even seeing the Lord’s icon, suggesting consequences of prior karma and a state of deprivation.
Value living opportunities for devotion and dharma—seek darśana, engage in pilgrimage or sacred practice when able, and cultivate conduct that avoids future states of regret and spiritual incapacity.