Shloka 121
गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः
चैत्यचत्वरतीरेषु नैव गोष्ठे चतुष्पथे नैव श्मशानोपवने सलिलेषु महीपते
caityacatvaratīreṣu naiva goṣṭhe catuṣpathe naiva śmaśānopavane salileṣu mahīpate
O king, one should not perform sacred recitation or ritual acts (nor sexual acts) at the edges of shrines and public squares, nor in a cowshed, nor at a crossroads; nor in cremation-grounds or groves, nor in or upon waters.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; addressing a kingly listener within the instruction as 'mahīpate')
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Proper and improper places for recitation/ritual observance to maintain purity and mental steadiness.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: practical, instructive
Concept: Dharma-practice requires appropriate space; liminal, impure, or socially noisy places undermine the purity and concentration needed for recitation and observance.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Choose a clean, quiet, consistent place for japa/recitation; avoid performing sacred practice in distracting public or ritually impure environments.
Vishishtadvaita: External order (deśa-śuddhi) supports inner recollection of the Lord; disciplined environment becomes an aid to sustained bhakti and smṛti.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse emphasizes deśa-śuddhi (purity of place): certain locations are considered distracting, impure, or socially turbulent, and thus unsuitable for steady, sāttvika recitation or ritual observance.
Parāśara lists practical do’s and don’ts—especially about place and conduct—so that worship and recitation are performed with composure, cleanliness, and reverence, aligning daily life with dharma.
Even when the verse is about outward discipline, its purpose is inward: creating the purity and mental steadiness that supports devotion and right orientation toward Vishnu as the supreme refuge and sustaining order (dharma).