Shloka 10
सदाचार-नियमाः: शील, संयम, संग-निषेध, शुचिता, वाणी-नीति, परोपकारः
नोच्चैर् हसेत् सशब्दं च न मुञ्चेत् पवनं बुधः नखान् न खादयेच् छिन्द्यान् न तृणं न महीं लिखेत्
noccair haset saśabdaṃ ca na muñcet pavanaṃ budhaḥ nakhān na khādayec chindyān na tṛṇaṃ na mahīṃ likhet
A wise person should not laugh loudly or noisily; nor should he release wind. He should not bite his nails—rather, he should trim them; and he should not idly scratch at grass or score lines upon the earth. Such small restraints preserve dignity and steadiness, aligning outward conduct with inner discipline under dharma.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya on dharma and proper conduct)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Minor restraints (kṣudra-niyama) that stabilize character and dignity
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: practical
Concept: Quiet, mindful restraint in small bodily acts cultivates steadiness and supports dharma through inner discipline expressed outwardly.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice low-reactivity speech and behavior; replace nervous habits with intentional routines that strengthen attention and composure.
Vishishtadvaita: Outer ācāra expresses inner sāttvika disposition, aiding bhakti as a whole-person offering to the Supreme.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse shows dharma operating at the level of small habits—restraint in laughter, speech, and bodily impulses—because personal discipline is presented as a foundation for social harmony and inner clarity.
Parāśara gives concrete, bodily examples—do not laugh loudly, do not indulge crude behavior, trim nails instead of biting them, and avoid idle marking of the ground—so that virtue becomes a lived routine rather than an abstract ideal.
Though Vishnu is not named in this line, the Vishnu Purana frames dharma as part of the sustaining cosmic order upheld by the Supreme Reality (Vishnu); disciplined conduct is a human participation in that preserving principle.