Shloka 24
भर्तृशुश्रूषणं धर्मो यथा स्त्रीणां परो मतः ममाज्ञापालनं धर्मो भवतां च तथा द्विजाः
bhartṛśuśrūṣaṇaṃ dharmo yathā strīṇāṃ paro mataḥ mamājñāpālanaṃ dharmo bhavatāṃ ca tathā dvijāḥ
Just as faithful service to one’s husband is held to be the highest dharma for women, so too, O twice-born ones, for you dharma is obedience to my command.
A ruling authority figure addressing the dvijas (within Parasara’s narration to Maitreya)
Concept: As a wife’s highest dharma is faithful service to her husband, so for the twice-born the highest dharma here is obedience to the speaker’s command.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate disciplined fidelity to rightful commitments—guru-vākya, śāstra, and ethical vows—rather than selective or convenience-based practice.
Vishishtadvaita: Highlights śeṣatva (the soul as dependent/servant) as lived dharma: right action is obedience aligned to the Lord’s will mediated through legitimate authority.
Bhakti Type: Dasya
Lakshmi Presence: Sri
FAQs
This verse frames dharma as role-appropriate fidelity: as a wife’s duty is defined through steadfast service, the dvijas’ duty here is defined through compliance with legitimate command, emphasizing social cohesion and ordered governance.
In Parasara’s discourse, dharma is often taught not as abstraction but as lived obligation—duties differentiated by station (such as dvija responsibilities) that preserve stability within the broader cosmic and social order.
Even when a verse speaks in social-ethical terms, the Vishnu Purana’s underlying vision is that dharma ultimately upholds Vishnu’s cosmic sovereignty—order in society mirrors the higher order sustained by the Supreme Reality.