Shloka 6

गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः

Devanagari script

अपीडया तयोः कामम् उभयोर् अपि चिन्तयेत् दृष्टादृष्टविनाशाय त्रिवर्गे समदर्शिता

Transliteration

apīḍayā tayoḥ kāmam ubhayor api cintayet dṛṣṭādṛṣṭavināśāya trivarge samadarśitā

Translation

Without oppressing either side, one should pursue desire only after weighing both. To destroy harm, seen and unseen, maintain an equal vision within the three aims—dharma, artha, and kāma.

Word by Word

• अपीडया: without causing harm; without affliction
• अपीडया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘अपीडा’ = पीडारहितता (without affliction)

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), द्विवचन

• कामम्: as one wishes; if desired
• कामम्: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अर्थे—‘यथेष्टम्/इच्छानुसारम्’ (optionally, as desired)

• उभयोः: of both
• उभयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), द्विवचन

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• चिन्तयेत्: should consider; should reflect
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दृष्ट: seen; manifest
• दृष्ट: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त; √दृश्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/अव्ययीभाव-पूर्वपदवत्; समासपूर्वपद (seen)

• अदृष्ट: unseen; unmanifest
• अदृष्ट: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदृष्ट (कृदन्त; √दृश्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) नकार-निषेधपूर्वक; समासपूर्वपद (unseen)

• विनाशाय: for the destruction
• विनाशाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of destruction)

• त्रिवर्गे: in the triad (dharma, artha, kāma)
• त्रिवर्गे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः—त्रयाणां वर्गाणां (धर्म-अर्थ-काम)

• समदर्शिता: even-mindedness; impartiality
• समदर्शिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम + दर्शिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘समदर्शिन्’भावः (even-sightedness)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Rāja-dharma conduct: balancing dharma, artha, kāma without harm in this world and the next

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Desire should be pursued only with non-injury and with balanced regard for dharma, artha, and kāma to avoid seen and unseen harm.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Before acting on desire, assess consequences for self/others and ensure it does not violate ethical commitments.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma-oriented living is implied as service to the Lord’s order (niyati), aligning personal aims with cosmic moral governance.

FAQs

What is the significance of the trivarga (dharma, artha, kāma) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames trivarga as a discipline of balance: desire and prosperity are valid only when pursued with equal regard for dharma, so that both immediate and future harm are avoided.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the idea of seen and unseen consequences (dṛṣṭa-adṛṣṭa)?

He teaches that actions produce results that may be visible now (social, bodily, political) or invisible yet inevitable (karmic or posthumous); wise conduct accounts for both.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the ethic reflects Vaishnava cosmic order: dharma is the sustaining principle associated with Vishnu’s sovereignty, and balanced living aligns the individual with that sustaining reality.