Shloka 57
गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः
श्वचण्डालविहंगानां भुवि दद्यात् ततो नरः ये चान्ये पतिताः केचिद् अपात्रा भुवि मानवाः
śvacaṇḍālavihaṃgānāṃ bhuvi dadyāt tato naraḥ ye cānye patitāḥ kecid apātrā bhuvi mānavāḥ
Therefore a man should give on this earth even to dogs, to caṇḍālas, and to birds; and likewise, to any others who have fallen from right conduct and are deemed unfit recipients among men—he should still extend support in due measure, for such giving upholds the order of life.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Householder dharma: bali/charity and proper distribution even to those deemed unfit (apātra), sustaining social order
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Even those labeled apātra (dogs, outcastes, birds, and the fallen) should receive measured support, since giving upholds dharma and the continuity of life.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Set aside a small portion of food/means for vulnerable beings (animals, marginalized people) as a daily discipline of non-contempt and social responsibility.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma of compassion is grounded in the vision that all beings are within the Lord’s order and deserve sustenance as His dependents (śeṣa-bhāva).
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
This verse broadens charity beyond ideal recipients, affirming that sustaining life through measured giving supports worldly order, even when recipients are socially marginalized or fallen.
Parāśara presents dāna as a dharmic duty that can extend to all beings—humans and animals—so that society and life remain supported, not merely as a reward-seeking ritual.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching rests on the Purana’s vision that dharma and social stability function under Vishnu’s supreme governance of the world.