Rules of Purity (Shauca) — Rules of Purity (Śauca), Permissible Foods, and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller
परस्वे परदारे च न कार्या बुद्धिरुत्तमैः परस्वं नरकायैव परदाराश्च मृत्यवे
parasve paradāre ca na kāryā buddhiruttamaiḥ parasvaṃ narakāyaiva paradārāśca mṛtyave
Die Besten unter den Menschen sollen ihren Geist weder auf fremdes Gut noch auf die Frau eines anderen richten; fremdes Gut führt zur Hölle, und die Frau eines anderen führt zum Tod.
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
Ethical life begins at the level of intention (buddhi): even directing one’s mind toward theft or adultery is censured. The verse uses consequence-language (naraka/mṛtyu) to stress that social transgressions are also cosmic violations of ṛta/dharma.
This is dharma-śāstra-like instruction (ācāra) inserted into Purāṇic narration; it is not primarily cosmology (sarga/pratisarga) but normative guidance supporting righteous lineages and kingship (vamśānucarita milieu).
‘Parasva’ and ‘paradāra’ symbolize illegitimate appropriation—of resources and of relational bonds. ‘Naraka’ and ‘mṛtyu’ symbolize spiritual degradation and social self-destruction resulting from violating trust.