Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 34, Shloka 88
Adhyaya 34 — Madālāsā’s Instruction on Sadācāra (Householder Conduct, Purity, and Daily Rites)
न चातिव्ययशीलैश्च न लुब्धैर्नापि वैरिभिः ।
न बन्धकीभिर्न न्यूनैर्बन्धकीपतिभिस्तथा ॥
na cātivyayaśīlaiś ca na lubdhair nāpi vairibhiḥ |
na bandhakībhir na nyūnair bandhakīpatibhis tathā ||
One should not associate with those given to excessive expenditure, nor with the greedy, nor with enemies; nor with courtesans, nor with the lowly, nor likewise with the husbands or keepers of courtesans.
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FAQs
Character is shaped by company. The verse warns that association with the extravagant, greedy, hostile, or socially/morally compromising circles leads to financial ruin, conflict, and loss of reputation—key dangers for a householder maintaining stability and dharma.
This is not a pancalakṣaṇa item (sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita). It belongs to dharma-śikṣā (normative instruction) embedded within the Purāṇic discourse.
On an inner level, ‘enemy’ and ‘greed’ also indicate hostile mental tendencies. Avoiding such ‘company’ symbolizes guarding the mind from saṃskāras that dissipate one’s inner wealth (tejas) through excess, craving, and conflict.