Shloka 18
पुंसां क्रिया-विभागः, संस्काराः, नामकरणम्, विवाहविधानम्
न दुष्टां दुष्टवाचालां व्यङ्गिनीं पितृमातृतः न श्मश्रुव्यञ्जनवतीं न चैव पुरुषाकृतिम्
na duṣṭāṃ duṣṭavācālāṃ vyaṅginīṃ pitṛmātṛtaḥ na śmaśruvyañjanavatīṃ na caiva puruṣākṛtim
One should not accept a woman of corrupt conduct, nor one whose speech is harsh and wicked; nor one marked by deformity inherited from her parents; nor one bearing masculine traits—such as the signs of a beard—or one whose appearance is like that of a man.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, within a dharma-oriented narrative section)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Gṛhastha-dharma: avoidance of moral and hereditary “doṣas” in marriage alliances
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Domestic dharma is said to depend on śīla (conduct) and saṃskāra; therefore one is instructed to avoid alliances perceived as destabilizing through vice or inherited deformity.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: In modern terms, prioritize ethical character and mutual respect in partnership; address family health concerns with compassion and medical understanding rather than stigma.
Vishishtadvaita: Ethics is treated as a mode of Bhagavad-ārādhana: ordered household life supports devotion and the performance of duties as service to Nārāyaṇa.
FAQs
They present gṛhastha-dharma as a stabilizing force for family lineage and social order, framing household life as part of maintaining dharma in the world.
He prioritizes character and speech (conduct and truthful, non-malicious expression) and also lists physical/lineage markers that the tradition treated as considerations in marital choice.
Even when Vishnu is not directly named, the Purana’s dharma instructions are presented as supporting the cosmic order upheld by the Supreme Lord—household ethics functioning as a practical expression of that order.