Shloka 16
Means of Liberation in Kali-yuga: Satsanga, Hearing Kṛṣṇa-kathā, and the Marks of a Vaiṣṇava
श्रीकृष्णचरितं विप्र तिष्ठेद्वै पुस्तकं गृहे । तस्य गृहसमीपं हि नायांति यमकिंकराः
śrīkṛṣṇacaritaṃ vipra tiṣṭhedvai pustakaṃ gṛhe | tasya gṛhasamīpaṃ hi nāyāṃti yamakiṃkarāḥ
Hỡi brāhmaṇa, nếu trong nhà có lưu giữ một quyển sách ghi chép hạnh tích của Śrī Kṛṣṇa, thì sứ giả của Yama cũng chẳng đến gần ngôi nhà ấy.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Śravaṇa/Smaraṇa of Kṛṣṇa-līlā—embodied even as a book kept with reverence—creates spiritual protection and repels fear of death and punishment.
Application: Keep sacred texts in a clean, honored place; read or listen daily; treat Kṛṣṇa-kathā as living presence—this cultivates sattva, reduces fear, and reorients the home toward dharma.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a modest home shrine, a palm-leaf or bound manuscript titled ‘Śrī Kṛṣṇa-carita’ rests on a cloth-covered pedestal with a small lamp and incense. At the doorway, shadowy Yamadūtas halt at an invisible boundary of light, unable to cross into the sanctified space.","primary_figures":["householder devotee","Śrī Kṛṣṇa (as subtle presence/altar image)","Yamadūtas (restrained at threshold)"],"setting":"Domestic altar room with tulsi pot nearby, manuscript stand, brass lamp, and a threshold marked by rangoli-like sacred patterns.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep blue","brass gold","vermillion red","smoky violet","cream white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: richly ornamented home altar with Kṛṣṇa icon and a manuscript on a pedestal; gold leaf radiance forms a protective aura at the doorway where Yamadūtas recoil; thick gold embossing, jewel tones, traditional South Indian shrine elements, intricate lamp and arch details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate interior scene with delicate lines—manuscript on a low wooden stand, soft lamplight; outside the door, faint dark figures pause; cool night blues with warm lamp glow, refined faces, lyrical domestic realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized doorway with luminous boundary; Kṛṣṇa’s presence suggested by a radiant blue aura near the manuscript; Yamadūtas rendered as dark, angular forms halted by light; natural pigments, temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central manuscript and lamp framed by lotus and vine borders; Kṛṣṇa motif above (flute, peacock feather) with deep blue field and gold highlights; Yamadūtas minimized as peripheral shadow motifs outside the floral border, emphasizing sanctity within."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","lamp-wick hiss","distant conch","night silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तिष्ठेद्वै = तिष्ठेत् + वै (त् + व → द्व्); नायान्ति = न + आयान्ति (अ + आ → आ).
FAQs
It recommends keeping a text (pustaka) describing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s deeds (śrīkṛṣṇacarita) in one’s home as a devotional and protective act.
It presents devotion to Kṛṣṇa—expressed even through reverent preservation of His narrative—as spiritually potent, overriding fear of punitive afterlife agents (Yama’s messengers).
Cultivating a home centered on sacred remembrance of Kṛṣṇa is portrayed as a safeguard that encourages righteous living and faith rather than fear.