Shloka 31

सदाचार-नियमाः: शील, संयम, संग-निषेध, शुचिता, वाणी-नीति, परोपकारः

Devanagari script

मङ्गल्यपुष्परत्नाज्यपूज्यान् अनभिवाद्य च न निष्क्रमेद् गृहात् प्राज्ञः सदाचारपरो नृप

Transliteration

maṅgalyapuṣparatnājyapūjyān anabhivādya ca na niṣkramed gṛhāt prājñaḥ sadācāraparo nṛpa

Translation

O King, the wise who are devoted to righteous conduct should not leave the house without first offering due salutations—having honored the auspicious, such as flowers, gems, and clarified butter, and also those who are worthy of worship.

Word by Word

• मङ्गल्य: auspicious
• मङ्गल्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मङ्गल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); विशेषण (adjectival)

• पुष्प: flower
• पुष्प: Viśeṣya/Upapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• रत्न: gem
• रत्न: Viśeṣya/Upapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• आज्य: ghee
• आज्य: Viśeṣya/Upapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• पूज्यान्: those worthy of worship with auspicious flowers, gems, and ghee
• पूज्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (masc., accusative plural); कर्मणि-यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: 'to be honored'); समासः: मङ्गल्य-पुष्प-रत्न-आज्य-पूज्य (तत्पुरुष, बहुपद)

• अनभिवाद्य: without saluting
• अनभिवाद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनभिवाद्य (कृदन्त; न + अभि + √वद् (धातु) + ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having not saluted'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• निष्क्रमेत्: should go out
• निष्क्रमेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. optative)

• गृहात्: from the house
• गृहात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (neuter, ablative singular)

• प्राज्ञः: a wise man
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc., nominative singular)

• सदाचारपरः: devoted to good conduct
• सदाचारपरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदाचार-पर (प्रातिपदिक: सदाचार + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: सदाचारपर (तत्पुरुष: 'devoted to good conduct')

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; addressed as 'O King' as a conventional vocative within dharma-teaching style)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: sadācāra (daily righteous conduct) and auspicious household observances for a king/householder

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Daily life should begin with maṅgala and reverent salutations to what is worship-worthy, grounding one’s actions in sadācāra.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Begin the day with brief worship/gratitude and respectful greetings to elders/teachers before engaging the world.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma as bhagavad-ājñā: social righteousness functions as service aligned to Viṣṇu’s sustaining order.

Characters & Entities

• Kings
• Those worthy of worship (pūjya)

FAQs

What is the significance of sadācāra (good conduct) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents sadācāra as a practical safeguard of dharma: even ordinary acts like leaving one’s home should begin with reverence and auspicious observance, reinforcing social and spiritual order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain daily discipline in this context?

He frames discipline as reverential preparation—honoring auspicious elements and those worthy of worship—so that outward activity proceeds from an inwardly aligned, dharmic mindset.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Though Vishnu is not named, the ethic reflects Vaishnava dharma: honoring the sacred and the pūjya sustains ṛta/dharma, understood in the Purana as ultimately upheld by the Supreme Lord, Vishnu.