Shloka 98

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

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

Devanagari script

क्रियाहानिर् गृहे यस्य मासम् एकं प्रजायते तस्यावलोकनात् सूर्यं पश्येत मतिमान् नरः

Transliteration

kriyāhānir gṛhe yasya māsam ekaṃ prajāyate tasyāvalokanāt sūryaṃ paśyeta matimān naraḥ

Translation

If, in a man’s house, neglect of sacred observances continues for a full month, then a prudent person, seeing that lapse, should behold the Sun—the witness of dharma—for purification.

Word by Word

• क्रियाहानिः: cessation/neglect of rites
• क्रियाहानिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + हानि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रियायाः हानिः)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मासम्: for a month
• मासम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time extent/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालावधि-अर्थे (duration)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मासम्)

• प्रजायते: arises/occurs
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्तरि—“arises/comes to be”

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अवलोकनात्: from (the act of) looking at (him)
• अवलोकनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवलोकन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• सूर्यम्: the sun
• सूर्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पश्येत: should look/should see
• पश्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मतिमान्: wise
• मतिमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मतिमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Rules of purity/impurity and remedies when household rites are neglected; avoidance of adharmic association.

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When Vedic observances lapse in a household, one should adopt a purificatory corrective by turning to the Sun as visible witness of ṛta/dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When discipline declines, re-anchor daily life with a concrete, sattvic ‘reset’ practice (e.g., sunrise prayer, sandhyā, mindful recommitment).

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is sustained under the Lord’s cosmic order, and visible cosmic powers like the Sun function as His regulated instruments (niyati) aiding purification.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Surya (the Sun)

FAQs

What is the significance of seeing the Sun in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It presents Sūrya as the visible witness of cosmic order (ṛta/dharma); beholding him functions as a simple, immediate act of purification when household observances have been neglected.

How does Sage Parāśara explain remedy for a month-long lapse of ritual duties?

He frames the lapse (kriyāhāni) as an inauspicious condition and prescribes a corrective act—looking upon the Sun—indicating a return to dharmic alignment through a recognized purificatory practice.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the remedy rests on Purāṇic cosmology where the Sun’s regulating power operates within Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty—restoring dharma is, implicitly, restoring harmony with Vishnu’s universal order.