Shloka 1

Devanagari script

गृहस्थस्य सदाचारं श्रोतुम् इच्छाम्य् अहं मुने लोकाद् अस्मात् परस्माच् च यम् आतिष्ठन् न हीयते

Transliteration

gṛhasthasya sadācāraṃ śrotum icchāmy ahaṃ mune lokād asmāt parasmāc ca yam ātiṣṭhan na hīyate

Translation

O sage, I long to hear the noble discipline of the householder—by steadfastly following which one does not fall away, either from this world or from the world beyond.

Word by Word

• गृहस्थस्य: of the householder
• गृहस्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—गृह + स्थ (तत्पुरुष)

• सदाचारम्: good conduct
• सदाचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—सत् + आचार (कर्मधारय)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (Infinitive), ‘to hear’

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमगण, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• लोकात्: from the world
• लोकात्: Apadana (Source/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) लोकात्

• परस्मात्: from the other (world)
• परस्मात्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) लोकात्

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

• यम्: which/whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• आतिष्ठन्: abiding by (it)
• आतिष्ठन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘abiding/following’

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• हीयते: is diminished / falls away
• हीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Maitreya (addressing Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Gṛhastha-sadācāra: the noble discipline/right conduct of the householder that secures welfare in this world and the next

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: inquisitive and earnest

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Steadfast adherence to gṛhastha-dharma (sadācāra) prevents spiritual and worldly decline, yielding benefit here and hereafter.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Adopt a consistent daily discipline—truthfulness, restraint, duty to family and society—measuring choices by long-term ethical consequences.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma as service to Bhagavān through one’s station in life (varṇāśrama) aligns the individual’s embodied duties with the divine order.

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Sage Parasara
• Grihastha (Householder)

FAQs

What is the significance of gṛhastha sadācāra in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames householder good conduct as a dharmic path that safeguards welfare in both the present life and the next, making it central to sustaining society and spiritual merit.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the householder’s role in dharma?

The verse serves as Maitreya’s prompt for Parāśara to teach gṛhastha-dharma, implying that disciplined household life is not merely worldly but a structured spiritual practice within the Purāṇic order.

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

Though not named in this line, the Vishnu Purana presents dharma as aligned with the Supreme order upheld by Vishnu; thus, righteous household conduct becomes a way of living in harmony with that sustaining reality.