Shloka 62
मायामोह-प्रवर्तन, वेदमार्ग-बहिष्कार, तथा पाषण्ड-संसर्ग-दोषः
Māyāmoha’s Delusion, Rejection of the Vedic Path, and the Fault of Heretical Association
स तु तेनापचारेण श्वा जज्ञे वसुधाधिपः उपोषितेन पाषण्डसंभाषो यः कृतो ऽभवत्
sa tu tenāpacāreṇa śvā jajñe vasudhādhipaḥ upoṣitena pāṣaṇḍasaṃbhāṣo yaḥ kṛto 'bhavat
But because of that transgression, the lord of the earth was reborn as a dog; for while fasting he had conversed with a pāṣaṇḍa, one who rejects the Vedic path, and that act became the cause of his fall.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Concept: Vrata is not merely abstention from food; impurity of association and speech can vitiate austerity and generate painful karmic results.
Vedantic Theme: Karma
Application: During spiritual disciplines, guard inputs—company, media, and speech; keep vows integrated with discernment (viveka) and devotion rather than externalism.
Vishishtadvaita: Karma operates within the Lord’s moral order; the jīva’s embodied fate changes by choices, yet remains dependent on the Supreme for ultimate uplift through devotion.
Dharma Exemplar: Vāk-saṃyama (restraint of speech) and sat-saṅga as safeguards of dharma
Key Kings: Sapatnajit
FAQs
This verse frames fasting as a sacred discipline whose fruit depends on purity of conduct; even during a fast, improper association and speech can negate merit and generate adverse karma.
Parāśara attributes the king’s animal rebirth directly to apacāra—specifically, conversing with a pāṣaṇḍa while fasting—showing that intent, context, and company shape karmic outcomes.
Although not named in the verse, the narrative operates within Vishnu Purana’s worldview where Vishnu upholds sovereignty over dharma and the moral order that governs rebirth and the fate of rulers.