Shloka 66

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

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

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वैव महाभागा श्वानभूतं पतिं तथा ददौ तस्मै वराहारं सत्कारप्रवणं शुभम्

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvaiva mahābhāgā śvānabhūtaṃ patiṃ tathā dadau tasmai varāhāraṃ satkārapravaṇaṃ śubham

Translation

The noble lady, seeing her husband reduced to the state of a dog, at once—still devoted to honor and right conduct—offered him wholesome food and tended him with auspicious, respectful care.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• महाभागा: the very fortunate lady
• महाभागा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् भागः यस्याः)

• श्वानभूतम्: having become a dog
• श्वानभूतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भू)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (श्वानः भूतो यः)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: thus, in that way
• तथा: Manner adverb
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वराहारम्: excellent food
• वराहारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (वरः आहारः)

• सत्कारप्रवणम्: inclined to hospitality/respectful (i.e., offered with honor)
• सत्कारप्रवणम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण) (of आहारम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सत्कारे प्रवणः)

• शुभम्: auspicious, good
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण) (of आहारम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Dharma as honoring beings despite degraded embodiment; compassion as a purifier of karma

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Respectful service offered without disgust—even to one in a lowly form—expresses dharma and purifies the heart.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice non-contempt: feed, care, and speak kindly to the vulnerable (including animals), seeing the same conscious self within varied bodies.

Vishishtadvaita: Service (kainkarya) is meaningful because selves are real and related within the Lord’s body; compassion aligns the jīva with the divine order.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Sage Parāśara
• Maitreya
• the noble wife

FAQs

What is the significance of satkāra (honoring and hospitality) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse highlights satkāra as a form of dharma that remains binding even when circumstances become shocking or humiliating—virtue is shown by continued respect and care.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the moral force of dharma through narrative episodes like this?

Parāśara uses vivid reversals (such as transformation into an animal state) to show that dharma is not merely social status-based; it is tested and proven through compassionate conduct in adversity.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s underlying frame treats dharma and karmic consequence as operating within Vishnu’s sovereign cosmic order—ethical steadiness aligns the household with that higher reality.