Shloka 11

मायामोह-प्रवर्तन, वेदमार्ग-बहिष्कार, तथा पाषण्ड-संसर्ग-दोषः

Māyāmoha’s Delusion, Rejection of the Vedic Path, and the Fault of Heretical Association

Devanagari script

कार्यम् एतद् अकार्यं च नैतद् एवं स्फुटं त्व् इदम् दिग्वाससाम् अयं धर्मो धर्मो ऽयं बहुवाससाम्

Transliteration

kāryam etad akāryaṃ ca naitad evaṃ sphuṭaṃ tv idam digvāsasām ayaṃ dharmo dharmo 'yaṃ bahuvāsasām

Translation

“This is to be done, and this is not to be done”—it is not so plainly fixed in every case. For the sky-clad, this is dharma; and for those who wear many garments, that is dharma. Thus, what counts as rightful conduct is often determined by the rule of life one has undertaken.

Word by Word

• कार्यम्: a duty/what should be done
• कार्यम्: विधेय (Predicate term)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: कर्ता/विशेष्य (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अकार्यम्: a non-duty/what should not be done
• अकार्यम्: विधेय (Predicate term)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + कार्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: विधेय (Predicate term)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• स्फुटम्: clear/explicit
• स्फुटम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इदम् इत्यस्य/वाक्यस्य)

• तु: but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध-अव्यय (but)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: कर्ता/विशेष्य (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिग्वाससाम्: of the sky-clad (naked) ones
• दिग्वाससाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक; दिग् + वासस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (दिशः वासः येषां = ‘those clothed by directions’, i.e., naked ascetics)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्मः: is the dharma
• धर्मः: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धर्मः: (is) dharma
• धर्मः: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• बहुवाससाम्: of those wearing many garments
• बहुवाससाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + वासस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (बहूनि वासांसि येषां = ‘those with many garments’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How differing codes (digvāsa vs bahuvāsa) were cited to unsettle fixed notions of duty

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dharma is not always reducible to a single external rule; it is shaped by the rule of life (vrata/āśrama) one has rightly undertaken, though not thereby rendered arbitrary.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Adopt a clear discipline (daily sādhana, vows, community norms) and judge actions by that commitment under śāstra-guidance, rather than importing incompatible standards opportunistically.

Vishishtadvaita: Supports ‘qualified’ normativity: diverse dharma-practices can coexist as modes of service to the one Lord, provided they remain śāstra-rooted and Bhagavad-ārādhanā-oriented.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Digvāsa (sky-clad ascetics)
• Householders (bahuvāsas)

FAQs

What is the significance of contextual dharma in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse highlights that dharma is not always a single, universally identical rule; it can legitimately vary according to one’s chosen discipline (like renunciation) or social-religious station (like householder life).

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between kārya (to be done) and akārya (not to be done)?

He indicates that the boundary is not always “sphuṭa” (perfectly explicit) in every situation, because the same act may be appropriate for one mode of life and inappropriate for another.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By teaching dharma as ordered, vow-consistent living, the Purana implies that righteous conduct is a way of aligning oneself with the sustaining cosmic sovereignty of Vishnu, the preserver of order (dharma) in the world.