Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 25

Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi Meets Lord Śiva: Devotee as Living Tīrtha and the Lord’s Māyā

Devanagari script

श्रवणाद् दर्शनाद् वापि महापातकिनोऽपि व: । शुध्येरन्नन्त्यजाश्चापि किमु सम्भाषणादिभि: ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

śravaṇād darśanād vāpi mahā-pātakino ’pi vaḥ śudhyerann antya-jāś cāpi kim u sambhāṣaṇādibhiḥ

Translation

即便是罪大恶极者与被社会弃绝者，也仅凭听闻你们或见到你们便得净化；更何况能与诸位当面交谈等，又将何等清净！

Synonyms

• śravaṇāt: from hearing
• śravaṇāt: Hetu (हेतु/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• darśanāt: from seeing
• darśanāt: Hetu (हेतु/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प (disjunctive particle/or)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कार (also/even)

• mahā-pātakinaḥ: great sinners
• mahā-pātakinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātakin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (mahāḥ pātakī = great sinner); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कार (even)

• vaḥ: of you / by you
• vaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• śudhyeyuḥ: would become purified
• śudhyeyuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śudh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; पाठभेदे ‘śudhyeran’ (आत्मनेपद) अपि—अर्थः समानः

• antya-jāḥ: outcast-born persons
• antya-jāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antya (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (antya-jā = born in the lowest); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (and)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कार (also/even)

• kim: how (much)
• kim: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/idiom marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्न/आक्षेप (interrogative used idiomatically in ‘kimu’ = how much more); अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः

• u: indeed/then
• u: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: u (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• sambhāṣaṇa-ādibhiḥ: by conversation and the like
• sambhāṣaṇa-ādibhiḥ: Karana (करण/instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sambhāṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (sambhāṣaṇa-ādi = conversation etc.); तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (ādi-समूहः)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about purification by hearing and seeing devotees?

This verse states that simply hearing about or seeing pure devotees brings purification—even for great sinners—so deeper association like conversation is even more purifying.

Why does Suta Gosvami emphasize hearing (shravanam) and seeing (darshanam) in this verse?

Because in the Bhagavata’s bhakti framework, contact with devotees through śravaṇa and darśana is a direct, accessible means of cleansing the heart—especially relevant for people in Kali-yuga.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Regularly hear Bhagavatam from sincere devotees, seek their company (even briefly), and engage respectfully in devotional conversation—these habits steadily purify character and intentions.