Shloka 87
गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः
प्राग् द्रवं पुरुषो ऽश्नन् वै मध्ये च कठिनाशनम् पुनर् अन्ते द्रवाशी तु बलारोग्ये न मुञ्चति
prāg dravaṃ puruṣo 'śnan vai madhye ca kaṭhināśanam punar ante dravāśī tu balārogye na muñcati
A man should begin his meal with what is liquid, take solid food in the middle, and again finish at the end with what is liquid. Eating in this order, he does not forfeit strength and freedom from disease.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, within dharma/ācāra teaching)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Rules of proper eating and post-meal conduct for health and ritual purity
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Orderly eating—liquids first, solids mid-meal, liquids last—supports strength and freedom from disease.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Structure meals mindfully (hydration/appetizers, then main course, then a light finishing drink) and avoid extremes that disturb digestion.
Vishishtadvaita: Embodied discipline (śarīra-dharma) is treated as supportive to spiritual life, aligning the body as a śeṣa (instrument) for the Lord.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse frames eating as a disciplined practice: starting and ending with liquids and taking solids in the middle is said to preserve strength and protect health, aligning bodily routine with dharma.
Parāśara presents practical rules of ācāra—such as the sequence of foods during a meal—as dharmic habits that sustain the body, which is treated as the support for religious life and duty.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s dharma-teachings function as guidance for living in harmony with cosmic order upheld by Vishnu; personal discipline becomes a way of participating in that sustaining sovereignty.