Shloka 3
साधवः क्षीणदोषास् तु सच्छब्दः साधुवाचकः तेषाम् आचरणं यत् तु सदाचारः स उच्यते
sādhavaḥ kṣīṇadoṣās tu sacchabdaḥ sādhuvācakaḥ teṣām ācaraṇaṃ yat tu sadācāraḥ sa ucyate
The virtuous are those whose faults have been worn away; the word “sat” denotes such sādhus. Whatever conduct they practice—that is called sadācāra, right and noble behavior.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Semantic and ethical definition of ‘sat/sādhu’ and how sadācāra is determined by the conduct of the fault-worn (kṣīṇadoṣa) virtuous
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: clarifying and definitional
Concept: Right conduct is identified by the lived practice of sādhus—those whose defects have been attenuated—so ‘sadācāra’ is the pattern of behavior of the truly good.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Seek exemplars with integrity (teachers, elders, communities) and model daily choices on their restraint, honesty, and compassion rather than on convenience or popularity.
Vishishtadvaita: Sādhu-lakṣaṇa implies dharma is discerned through realized devotees whose lives reflect alignment with the Lord’s will, not merely through abstract rule-making.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse defines sadācāra as the lived conduct of sādhus—those whose faults have been diminished—making virtue a practical standard for dharma rather than a mere theory.
He characterizes sādhus as “kṣīṇadoṣa”—people whose defects are worn away—so moral authority rests on inner purification reflected in behavior.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purāṇa frames dharma as part of the cosmic order sustained by the Supreme; sadācāra becomes a human expression of that divinely grounded order.