Shloka 111
नाविशालां न वा भग्नां नासमां मलिनां न च न च जन्तुमयीं शय्याम् अधितिष्ठेद् अनास्तृताम्
nāviśālāṃ na vā bhagnāṃ nāsamāṃ malināṃ na ca na ca jantumayīṃ śayyām adhitiṣṭhed anāstṛtām
One should not lie upon a bed that is too wide, nor one that is broken; neither on one that is uneven, nor on one that is soiled. Nor should one rest upon a bed infested with creatures, or upon one left uncovered—thus guarding bodily discipline and inner purity in the order upheld by Dharma.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Rules of bodily discipline and purity: unsuitable beds (too wide, broken, uneven, dirty, infested, uncovered)
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: One must avoid sleeping on beds that encourage disorder or impurity—broken, uneven, dirty, insect-infested, overly sprawling, or uncovered—so that physical śauca supports inner discipline.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Maintain a clean, simple sleeping space; avoid excess, neglect, and unhygienic conditions that destabilize body and mind.
Vishishtadvaita: Outer śauca functions as a sādhana for inner sattva conducive to bhakti; disciplined living expresses dependence on and reverence for the Lord’s dharmic order.
FAQs
This verse frames purity as practical discipline—avoiding dirty, broken, uneven, insect-infested, or uncovered bedding—so the body and mind remain fit for dharmic living.
He gives concrete, household-level rules—here about sleeping arrangements—to show that Dharma is maintained through consistent, mindful habits.
Though Vishnu is not named in this line, the teaching supports the Vaishnava view that living in cleanliness and restraint aligns one’s life with Dharma—the cosmic order ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s sovereignty.