Shloka 25
मायामोह-प्रवर्तन, वेदमार्ग-बहिष्कार, तथा पाषण्ड-संसर्ग-दोषः
Māyāmoha’s Delusion, Rejection of the Vedic Path, and the Fault of Heretical Association
केचिद् विनिन्दां वेदानां देवानाम् अपरे द्विज यज्ञकर्मकलापस्य तथान्ये च द्विजन्मनाम्
kecid vinindāṃ vedānāṃ devānām apare dvija yajñakarmakalāpasya tathānye ca dvijanmanām
Some, O twice-born, reviled the Vedas; others abused the gods. Some mocked the whole order and discipline of sacrificial rites, and others spoke with contempt of the twice-born themselves.
Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Specific forms of pāṣaṇḍa: contempt for Veda, Devas, yajña, and the dvija order
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Adharma expresses itself as systematic rejection of śruti (Veda), deva-worship, yajña-discipline, and the custodians of sacred learning (dvijas).
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Guard speech and community discourse: critique may be reasoned, but contempt that severs reverence for śāstra and sādhus corrodes dharma.
Vishishtadvaita: Respect for deva-ordination and Vedic authority aligns with recognizing the Lord’s governance through cosmic and social order.
Vishnu Form: Hari
FAQs
This verse flags a key symptom of dharma’s decline: when Vedic authority and sacrificial order are mocked, the social and cosmic disciplines that sustain harmony weaken.
Parāśara describes a pattern of degeneration where people successively reject the Vedas, the devas, ritual duties, and even the community meant to uphold sacred learning, indicating a broad collapse of normative order.
By portraying the breakdown of Vedic order, the text implicitly underscores the need for Vishnu’s preserving power—dharma ultimately stands under his supreme governance, even when human practice falters.