Shloka 31
मात्रे प्रमात्रे तन्मात्रे गुरुपत्न्यै तथा नृप गुरवे मातुलादीनां स्निग्धमित्राय भूभुजे
mātre pramātre tanmātre gurupatnyai tathā nṛpa gurave mātulādīnāṃ snigdhamitrāya bhūbhuje
To one’s mother, to the mother’s mother, and to her mother as well; to the guru’s wife; O king, to the guru himself; to maternal uncles and the like; to a trusted and affectionate friend; and to a ruler—these are all fit recipients of honor and offerings, in accordance with dharma.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; addressed here with ‘O king’ as a conventional vocative within dharma-teaching)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Additional eligible recipients of honor/offerings beyond direct pitṛ line (mother-line, guru-family, friends, rulers)
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Dharma requires honoring a wider circle—mother and maternal foremothers, guru and guru’s wife, maternal relatives, affectionate friends, and the ruler—through appropriate offerings and respect.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice relational dharma: care for parents, respect teachers, maintain loyal friendships, and support just civic order through ethical participation.
Vishishtadvaita: Viśiṣṭādvaita emphasizes the self as a dependent mode of the Lord; honoring these relationships is an expression of śeṣatva (service) within His social-cosmic body.
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
This verse lists core dharmic recipients of respect and offerings—family elders, the guru’s household, trusted allies, and the ruler—showing how personal virtue upholds social and cosmic order.
By naming specific recipients (mother-line elders, guru and his wife, maternal kin, friends, and the king), Parāśara frames dharma as lived obligation—expressed through honor, support, and appropriate giving.
In the Vishnu Purana, dharma is part of Vishnu’s sustaining power: righteous conduct and proper honoring of social pillars preserve order, reflecting Vishnu as the supreme maintainer of the world.