Shloka 38

Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies

Devanagari script

व्रतानि वेदवेद्याप्तिकारणान्य् अखिलानि च नरकग्राममार्गेण सङ्गेनापहृतानि मे

Transliteration

vratāni vedavedyāptikāraṇāny akhilāni ca narakagrāmamārgeṇa saṅgenāpahṛtāni me

Translation

All my sacred observances—those disciplines that are the means to attain what the Vedas reveal—have been wholly stolen from me by corrupting association, as though I were being dragged along the road that leads to the village of hell.

Word by Word

• व्रतानि: vows
• व्रतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• वेदवेद्याप्तिकारणानि: causes of attaining what is knowable through the Veda
• वेदवेद्याप्तिकारणानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-वेद्य-आप्ति-कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• अखिलानि: all
• अखिलानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नरकग्राममार्गेण: by the path to the village of hell (i.e., hellish path)
• नरकग्राममार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक-ग्राम-मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• सङ्गेन: by association
• सङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• अपहृतानि: carried off
• अपहृतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपहृत (कृदन्त; अप + √हृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Neuter, Nom/Acc Pl; past passive participle)

• मे: my/from me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive/Dative, Singular)

Speaker

A repentant moral agent within Parasara’s discourse (didactic voice quoted within Sage Parāśara’s narration to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How saṅga (corrupting association) destroys vrata and Veda-oriented discipline, leading toward naraka

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: warning and corrective

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Vratas and Vedic disciplines are fragile when one keeps degrading company; saṅga can ‘steal’ merit and redirect one toward naraka-like outcomes.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Choose elevating community (satsaṅga), curate influences (speech, media, habits), and maintain daily vrata with accountability.

Vishishtadvaita: Satsaṅga supports bhakti and dharma as means for the jīva to align its will with the Lord; bad saṅga disrupts that alignment and obscures the Lord-centered telos.

FAQs

What is the significance of association (saṅga) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats saṅga as a decisive spiritual force: wrong company can ‘steal’ one’s vratas and drag the person toward naraka-mārga, while good company safeguards dharma and devotion.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the loss of spiritual merit here?

Through a quoted, confessional voice: merit is not only built by vows but can be undone when conduct is reshaped by harmful associations, showing karma as both cumulative and fragile.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Implicitly, dharma and Vedic aims find their highest fulfillment in alignment with Vishnu as Supreme Reality; losing vratas through asat-saṅga is a fall away from that Vishnu-oriented order.