Shloka 32
चतुष्पथान् नमस् कुर्यात् काले होमपरो भवेत् दीनान् अभ्युद्धरेत् साधून् उपासीत बहुश्रुतान्
catuṣpathān namas kuryāt kāle homaparo bhavet dīnān abhyuddharet sādhūn upāsīta bahuśrutān
At the crossroads he should offer reverent salutations; at the proper times he should be devoted to the homa, the fire-offering. He should uplift the destitute, attend upon the virtuous, and seek the company of the deeply learned.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: sadācāra including public-space reverence (crossroads), timely homa, charity, and association with sādhus and the learned
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: practical and directive
Concept: Dharma is maintained through regular yajña (homa), compassion to the needy, service to the virtuous, and satsanga with the learned.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Keep daily/weekly disciplines (prayer, offering, charity) and intentionally seek wise company while aiding those in distress.
Vishishtadvaita: Service (kainkarya) to dharmic order is implicitly service to Nārāyaṇa, the sustainer of the moral cosmos.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
It signifies public humility and auspicious, socially visible dharma—training the householder to move through shared spaces with reverence and restraint.
He places them together: timely homa disciplines the sacred rhythm of life, while uplifting the poor and serving the virtuous expresses dharma as compassionate action.
Viṣṇu is the sustainer of ṛta/dharma; these practices are presented as ways of aligning human life with the sustaining divine order that ultimately rests in Viṣṇu.