Shloka 16
The Glory of Tulasī and Dhātrī (Āmalakī): Protection from Yama and Attainment of Vaikuṇṭha
स्पृशेच्च यानि लोमानि धात्रीमाला कलौ नृणाम् । तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि वसते केशवालये
spṛśecca yāni lomāni dhātrīmālā kalau nṛṇām | tāvadvarṣasahasrāṇi vasate keśavālaye
ในกาลีกาล เมื่อพวงมาลัยธาตรี (อามลกี) สัมผัสเส้นขนของผู้ใดมากเท่าใด ผู้นั้นย่อมพำนักในพระธามของเกศวะเป็นเวลาพันปีเท่านั้น
Not explicitly indicated in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Brahma-khaṇḍa narration)
Concept: In Kali-yuga, even minimal devotional contact with bhagavat-sambandhi objects yields vast post-mortem spiritual residence with Vishnu.
Application: Keep devotional symbols close (mala, tilaka, nama-japa); treat them as living commitments—small daily disciplines can have long spiritual horizons.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A close-up devotional miracle: a Dhātrī mala brushes a devotee’s skin, and each touched hair becomes a tiny golden thread rising upward like a ladder of light. Above, the luminous gates of Keśava’s abode open in the clouds, with conch-and-disc emblems floating like constellations, suggesting ‘thousands of years’ as a vast, calm expanse.","primary_figures":["Keśava (Vishnu)","Vaishnava devotee","Celestial gatekeepers (subtle, optional)"],"setting":"Earthly foreground with devotee and mala; sky transitioning into Vaikuntha-like celestial architecture with lotus-clouds and jeweled gateways.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["celestial white","golden amber","deep indigo","pearl gray","mint green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-register composition—lower register devotee with Dhātrī mala touching the body; upper register Vaikuntha gates with Keśava enthroned; heavy gold leaf for rays and bead highlights, ornate archways, rich jewel tones, embossed halos.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poetic vertical composition; delicate lines showing mala brushing skin; fine golden dots rising into a pale sky; distant Keśava-loka rendered as airy palace among clouds; cool blues and soft gold accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized rays and cloud-lotus motifs; Keśava with large eyes in upper panel; devotee and mala in lower panel; bold outlines, warm yellow background with red-green detailing, rhythmic ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic ladder of light made of bead motifs ascending to a lotus-palace; repeated shankha-chakra patterns; deep blue cloth ground with gold and white highlights; floral borders incorporating Āmalakī leaves."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft conch in distance","wind chimes","silence between cadences"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: spṛśet+ca→spṛśecca; varṣa+sahasrāṇi→varṣasahasrāṇi; keśava+ālaye→keśavālaye.
FAQs
The verse praises wearing or using a dhātrī (āmalakī) garland, stating that it grants prolonged residence in Keśava’s abode.
It frames the practice as especially efficacious in Kali-yuga, a period often described in Purāṇic literature as spiritually challenging, where accessible devotional acts yield great merit.
It emphasizes simple, embodied devotional observances (like sacred garlands associated with Viṣṇu/Keśava) and highlights faith-driven practice as a means to attain divine proximity.