Shloka 13
चतुष्पथं चैत्यतरुं श्मशानोपवनानि च दुष्टस्त्रीसंनिकर्षं च वर्जयेन् निशि सर्वदा
catuṣpathaṃ caityataruṃ śmaśānopavanāni ca duṣṭastrīsaṃnikarṣaṃ ca varjayen niśi sarvadā
At night one should always avoid the crossroads, sacred trees at shrines, groves adjoining cremation-grounds, and the close company of women of corrupt conduct.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Avoidance of inauspicious places and morally dangerous company at night
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: protective
Concept: Dharma is guarded by avoiding liminal, fear-inducing places and corrupting companionship, especially at night when vigilance is reduced.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Choose safe environments and ethical friendships; avoid risky settings and predatory company, particularly when alone or vulnerable.
Vishishtadvaita: Moral ecology: the jīva’s conduct in place and company shapes sattva, which supports steady devotion to the Lord.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse frames such places as spiritually and socially risky at night; avoiding them is presented as a practical dharma-based safeguard for one’s safety, composure, and ritual purity.
Parāśara gives concrete behavioral restraints—where not to go and whom not to associate with—showing that dharma is maintained through disciplined choices, especially when vigilance is low (at night).
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching assumes dharma as the order sustained under the Supreme; living by such restraints is a way of staying aligned with that Vishnu-governed cosmic law.