Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 76
Pitṛ-tīrtha Context: Marks of Sin, Śrāddha Discipline, and Karmic Ripening
in Yayāti’s Narrative
स्वधर्मं विक्रयेद्यस्तु अधर्मं वर्णते नरः । परदोषप्रवादी च परच्छिद्रावलोककः
svadharmaṃ vikrayedyastu adharmaṃ varṇate naraḥ | paradoṣapravādī ca paracchidrāvalokakaḥ
যে নিজের স্বধর্ম বিক্রি করে, অধর্ম প্রচার করে; অন্যের দোষ বলে এবং অন্যের দুর্বলতার ফাঁক খোঁজে—সে মানুষ—
Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma style discourse, but not provable from this single verse alone)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विक्रयेद्यस्तु→विक्रयेत् यः तु; परच्छिद्रावलोककः→पर-छिद्र-अवलोककः.
FAQs
It condemns abandoning or “selling” one’s svadharma, advocating adharma, speaking about others’ faults, and habitually searching for others’ weaknesses or loopholes.
It suggests treating one’s rightful duty as a commodity—giving it up for gain, convenience, or social advantage—rather than living it as a moral obligation aligned with one’s station and responsibilities.
It points to a mindset of fault-hunting that distracts from self-correction; spiritually, it fuels pride, hostility, and adharma, whereas dharmic practice emphasizes introspection and restraint in speech.