Shloka 28
Means of Liberation in Kali-yuga: Satsanga, Hearing Kṛṣṇa-kathā, and the Marks of a Vaiṣṇava
शृण्वंति विष्णुचरितं विज्ञेया वैष्णवा नराः । यस्य गृहे सुप्रतिष्ठेत्शालग्रामशिलापि च
śṛṇvaṃti viṣṇucaritaṃ vijñeyā vaiṣṇavā narāḥ | yasya gṛhe supratiṣṭhetśālagrāmaśilāpi ca
ผู้ใดสดับฟังพระจริยาของพระวิษณุ พึงรู้ว่าเป็นไวษณพ; และผู้ใดมีศิลาศาลครามประดิษฐานอย่างถูกพิธีในเรือนของตน ผู้นั้นก็เป็นเช่นกัน
Unspecified (narrative voice not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: Śravaṇa of Viṣṇu-carita and the consecrated presence of Śālagrāma in one’s home are definitive signs of Vaiṣṇava life.
Application: Regularly hear/recite Viṣṇu-kathā (Purāṇa, Itihāsa, stotra) and maintain a clean, respectful worship space; if Śālagrāma is present, follow careful daily upacāras with purity and consistency.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A calm household sanctum: a black Śālagrāma stone rests on a silver pedestal, adorned with tulasī leaves and a thin garland, while a lamp casts a steady halo on the wall. Nearby, devotees sit cross-legged listening to Viṣṇu-carita being read aloud from a palm-leaf manuscript, the air fragrant with incense and quiet awe.","primary_figures":["Śālagrāma-śilā (as Viṣṇu’s arcā presence)","Vaiṣṇava reader (kathaka)","listening devotees"],"setting":"Home shrine (pujā room) with pedestal, conch, bell, incense holder, palm-leaf manuscript/scroll, tulasī leaves in a small bowl.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["obsidian black","silver white","lamp-flame gold","tulasī green","deep maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central Śālagrāma on a silver pedestal under a gold-leaf arch, tulasī leaves and garland draped, devotees seated listening to Viṣṇu-carita recitation; rich maroons and emeralds, embossed gold on lamp halos and shrine borders, gem-studded ornamentation, traditional South Indian iconographic framing even for the aniconic stone.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate interior with soft light, delicate rendering of the Śālagrāma’s spiral markings, listeners with refined expressions of wonder, palm-leaf manuscript in the reader’s hands; cool shadows, gentle textiles, subtle floral motifs around the shrine.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized shrine with bold outlines, Śālagrāma emphasized by a radiant aureole, devotees in rhythmic seated poses, lamp and conch prominent; saturated natural pigments, temple-wall composition, characteristic eye shapes and ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: shrine scene framed by lotus and vine borders, Śālagrāma pedestal centered with tulasī leaves, devotees listening in semicircle; deep indigo background with gold highlights, peacocks and lotuses in the border, intricate floral filigree echoing Viṣṇu’s auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft conch at beginning","steady lamp crackle","low tanpura drone","page/palm-leaf rustle","temple bell (single strikes)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विष्णुचरितं = विष्णु + चरितम्; सुप्रतिष्ठेत्शालग्रामशिलापि = सुप्रतिष्ठेत् + शालग्रामशिला + अपि (त् + श → च्छ; अपि attached); शृण्वंति = शृण्वन्ति (standard spelling)
FAQs
It identifies two markers: listening to Viṣṇu’s deeds (viṣṇu-carita) and having the Śālagrāma-śilā properly installed in one’s home.
It elevates śravaṇa (devotional listening to the Lord’s narratives) as a defining devotional practice, presenting it as a core sign of Vaiṣṇava identity.
It encourages cultivating devotion both through regular engagement with sacred narratives (listening) and through reverent household worship centered on a recognized form of Viṣṇu (Śālagrāma).