Shloka 22

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

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

Devanagari script

ते ऽप्य् अन्येषां तथैवोचुर् अन्यैर् अन्ये तथोदिताः मैत्रेय तत्यजुर् धर्मं वेदस्मृत्युदितं परम्

Transliteration

te 'py anyeṣāṃ tathaivocur anyair anye tathoditāḥ maitreya tatyajur dharmaṃ vedasmṛtyuditaṃ param

Translation

They, in turn, taught the same to others; and those others were instructed likewise by yet others. Thus, O Maitreya, people abandoned the supreme dharma proclaimed in the Vedas and the Smṛtis.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (masculine nominative plural)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• अन्येषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (masculine genitive plural)

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (perfect, 3rd person plural, parasmaipada)

• अन्यैः: by others
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (masculine instrumental plural)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (masculine nominative plural)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• उदिताः: were spoken; were stated
• उदिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + इ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (PPP; masculine nominative plural)

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन (masculine vocative singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (masculine accusative singular)

• त्यजुः: abandoned
• त्यजुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्ण), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (perfect, 3rd person plural, parasmaipada)

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)

• वेदस्मृत्युदितम्: proclaimed in the Vedas and Smṛtis
• वेदस्मृत्युदितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + उदित (उद्+इ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष; विशेषण (masculine accusative singular; 'declared in Veda and Smṛti')

• परम्: supreme; highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (masculine accusative singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Chain-transmission of misleading teachings and the consequent abandonment of Veda-smṛti grounded supreme dharma

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When teachings proliferate by mere imitation, people can forsake the supreme dharma rooted in Veda and Smṛti; hence dharma must be anchored in authentic revelation and its intent.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Choose lineages and teachers committed to śruti-smṛti; evaluate spiritual advice by whether it deepens devotion, humility, and dharma rather than factional novelty.

Vishishtadvaita: Upholds śruti-smṛti as authoritative pramāṇa and frames dharma as service to Nārāyaṇa—central to Viśiṣṭādvaita’s bhakti grounded in revealed order.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Veda
• Smṛti
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the significance of Veda and Smṛti in establishing dharma in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames dharma as “param”—supreme—when grounded in Veda and Smṛti, implying that teachings detached from these sources lead to confusion and abandonment of righteous order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the decline of dharma here?

Parāśara depicts a chain effect: people repeat teachings to others, and as doctrines proliferate and echo without scriptural anchoring, society gradually forsakes the Veda–Smṛti-defined standard of dharma.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in this verse, the Vishnu Purana’s broader theology treats Vedic dharma as aligned with Vishnu’s sovereign order; abandoning that dharma is, indirectly, a departure from the divine structure sustaining the world.