Shloka 142
Karma, Non-Violence, Tīrtha & Gaṅgā Merit, Vaiṣṇava Protection, Śālagrāma Worship, and Ekādaśī as Deliverance
मातृस्तन्यं पुनर्नैव स पिबेद्विष्णुभाङ्नरः । शालग्राम समीपे तु क्रोशमात्रं समंततः
mātṛstanyaṃ punarnaiva sa pibedviṣṇubhāṅnaraḥ | śālagrāma samīpe tu krośamātraṃ samaṃtataḥ
विष्णुभक्तो नरः पुनर्मातृस्तन्यं नैव पिबेत्। शालग्रामसमीपे तु क्रोशमात्रे समन्ततः एष नियमः॥
Not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses in Svarga-khaṇḍa 31).
Concept: Approaching Viṣṇu’s highest sanctity requires heightened śauca and self-restraint; devotional identity (viṣṇu-bhāk) entails disciplined conduct in sacred space.
Application: Maintain stricter purity near the altar: clean speech, diet, and habits; treat sacred precincts with heightened restraint. (Note: the ‘mother’s milk’ rule is context-specific and may reflect a particular ascetic/ritual code rather than a universal injunction.)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred perimeter is marked by small flags and lamp posts around a Śālagrāma shrine; a devotee stands at the boundary with folded hands, choosing restraint and purity before entering. Inside, the sanctum is immaculate—washed stone floor, copper vessels covered, and a quiet stillness that makes the rule feel like reverent discipline rather than fear.","primary_figures":["Vaishnava devotee (viṣṇu-bhāk)","Śālagrāma-śilā","temple attendant/priest"],"setting":"Shrine precinct with a visible boundary line (rangoli/stone markers), lamps, and a clean inner sanctum.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["clean white","lamp-gold","leaf-green","stone-gray","saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a pristine shrine with gold leaf arch; boundary lamps forming a sacred circle; devotee with folded hands at the threshold, richly patterned textiles in red/green; Śālagrāma on lotus pedestal inside, emphasized with embossed gold halo and ornate borders conveying sanctity and discipline.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle threshold scene with refined facial expressions; a marked perimeter around a small shrine; soft greens and grays, delicate lamps, quiet reverence; the devotee pauses before entry, conveying restraint and purity in a lyrical landscape.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symmetrical composition with a circular boundary motif; bold outlines, stylized eyes; shrine interior in warm reds/yellows/greens; the devotee at the edge, hands in añjali, conveying maryādā and śauca.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border with conch and lotus motifs; central shrine encircled by a decorative ring representing one-krośa sanctity; attendants with lamps; devotee at the threshold, deep blue and gold accents emphasizing sacred boundary and reverence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft silence","single temple bell","incense breeze","distant birds","footsteps stopping at threshold"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुनर्नैव → पुनः + न + एव; पिबेद्विष्णुभाङ्नरः → पिबेत् + विष्णुभाक् + नरः; समंततः → समन्ततः.
FAQs
It marks a sanctified zone around Śālagrāma extending one krośa in every direction, implying that conduct and observances are heightened within that radius.
By addressing the “viṣṇu-bhāk” (devotee of Viṣṇu) and prescribing a strict rule of purity/renunciation in a holy area, it frames bhakti as accompanied by disciplined personal conduct.
The verse stresses restraint and reverence in sacred spaces—suggesting that proximity to a revered symbol of Viṣṇu (Śālagrāma) calls for stricter self-regulation and purity of practice.