Shloka 5
सदाचार-नियमाः: शील, संयम, संग-निषेध, शुचिता, वाणी-नीति, परोपकारः
नान्यस्त्रियं तथा वैरं रोचयेत् पुरुषेश्वर न दुष्टयानम् आरोहेत् कूलच्छायां न संश्रयेत्
nānyastriyaṃ tathā vairaṃ rocayet puruṣeśvara na duṣṭayānam ārohet kūlacchāyāṃ na saṃśrayet
O lord among men, one should not seek the company of another’s wife, nor cultivate enmity. One should not mount a wicked conveyance, nor take shelter even in the shade of a treacherous bank.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; vocative 'puruṣeśvara' used as an address within the didactic passage)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Avoidance of near occasions of downfall: illicit desire, enmity, and unsafe associations
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: One should avoid illicit relationships, the cultivation of hostility, and any ‘vehicle’ or refuge that is morally or practically unsafe—shunning even proximate causes of ruin to preserve dharma.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Set clear boundaries: avoid compromising situations, de-escalate conflicts early, and choose environments/companions that support integrity.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is protected by prudent avoidance (saṃyama) in embodied life, enabling stable devotion and service to the Lord amid worldly risks.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse frames dharma as preventive discipline: social harmony and inner purity are protected by refusing adultery and hostility, which are seen as root-causes of downfall.
Parāśara teaches that wisdom avoids not only sin itself but also risky conditions—unsafe conveyances and unstable banks symbolize situations that appear harmless yet can quickly lead to ruin.
Even when the verse is ethical, its backdrop is Vishnu as the upholder of ṛta/dharma: personal restraint becomes a way of living in harmony with the Supreme order that Vishnu sustains.