Shloka 32

सदाचार-नियमाः: शील, संयम, संग-निषेध, शुचिता, वाणी-नीति, परोपकारः

Devanagari script

चतुष्पथान् नमस् कुर्यात् काले होमपरो भवेत् दीनान् अभ्युद्धरेत् साधून् उपासीत बहुश्रुतान्

Transliteration

catuṣpathān namas kuryāt kāle homaparo bhavet dīnān abhyuddharet sādhūn upāsīta bahuśrutān

Translation

An Kreuzungen soll er ehrfürchtig grüßen; zur rechten Zeit soll er dem Homa, dem Feueropfer, ergeben sein. Er soll die Bedürftigen aufrichten, den Tugendhaften dienen und die Gemeinschaft der Vielwissenden suchen.

Word by Word

• चतुष्पथान्: crossroads
• चतुष्पथान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुष्पथ (प्रातिपदिक: चतुर् + पथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (masc., accusative plural); समासः: चतुष्पथ (तत्पुरुष: 'four-way road/crossroads')

• नमस्: obeisance
• नमस्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable interjection/particle used with √कृ: 'obeisance')

• कुर्यात्: should do / should offer
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. optative)

• काले: at the proper time
• काले: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masc., locative singular)

• होमपरः: devoted to fire-offering
• होमपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: होम-पर (प्रातिपदिक: होम + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: होमपर (तत्पुरुष: 'devoted to homa')

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. optative)

• दीनान्: the poor/distressed
• दीनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (masc., accusative plural); विशेष्य (persons implied)

• अभ्युद्धरेत्: should uplift/rescue
• अभ्युद्धरेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + उद् + √हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. optative)

• साधून्: the virtuous
• साधून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (masc., accusative plural)

• उपासीत: should attend/serve
• उपासीत: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √आस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. optative)

• बहुश्रुतान्: the learned
• बहुश्रुतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुश्रुत (प्रातिपदिक: बहु + श्रुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः: बहुश्रुत (बहुव्रीहि: 'one who has heard much' = learned)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: sadācāra including public-space reverence (crossroads), timely homa, charity, and association with sādhus and the learned

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: practical and directive

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dharma is maintained through regular yajña (homa), compassion to the needy, service to the virtuous, and satsanga with the learned.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Keep daily/weekly disciplines (prayer, offering, charity) and intentionally seek wise company while aiding those in distress.

Vishishtadvaita: Service (kainkarya) to dharmic order is implicitly service to Nārāyaṇa, the sustainer of the moral cosmos.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Sage Parasara
• Maitreya
• Sadhus
• The poor (dīna)
• The learned (bahuśruta)

FAQs

What is the significance of honoring crossroads (catuṣpatha) in the Vishnu Purana?

It signifies public humility and auspicious, socially visible dharma—training the householder to move through shared spaces with reverence and restraint.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the balance between ritual (homa) and ethics?

He places them together: timely homa disciplines the sacred rhythm of life, while uplifting the poor and serving the virtuous expresses dharma as compassionate action.

What is the theological importance of Lord Viṣṇu in this context?

Viṣṇu is the sustainer of ṛta/dharma; these practices are presented as ways of aligning human life with the sustaining divine order that ultimately rests in Viṣṇu.