Shloka 112
गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः
प्राच्यां दिशि शिरः शस्तं याम्यायाम् अथवा नृप सदैव स्वपतः पुंसो विपरीतं तु रोगदम्
prācyāṃ diśi śiraḥ śastaṃ yāmyāyām athavā nṛpa sadaiva svapataḥ puṃso viparītaṃ tu rogadam
O King, for a man who sleeps it is wholesome to place the head toward the East—or else toward the South; but to lie in the reverse direction becomes a giver of disease.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; framed as counsel addressed to a king within the teaching style)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Rules of proper conduct for householders (sleeping orientation and health)
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Daily bodily conduct (such as sleeping with the head to the East or South) is enjoined as part of dharma because it supports health and steadiness of life.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Maintain consistent sleep hygiene and orderly routines that protect health and mental clarity.
Vishishtadvaita: Embodied life is a mode of the Lord’s order; caring for the body as a dharmic instrument supports devotion and duty.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse presents sleep posture as part of ācāra (right conduct), aligning the body with auspicious directions (East/South) to support health and order.
He includes everyday disciplines—such as how one should sleep—showing that dharma is lived through bodily habits that preserve well-being and social stability.
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the instruction reflects a Vaishnava Purana theme: living in harmony with cosmic law ultimately supports the ordered world sustained by Vishnu.