Shloka 99

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

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

Devanagari script

किं पुनर् यैस् तु संत्यक्ता त्रयी सर्वात्मना द्विज परान्नभोजिभिः पापैर् वेदवादविरोधिभिः

Transliteration

kiṃ punar yais tu saṃtyaktā trayī sarvātmanā dvija parānnabhojibhiḥ pāpair vedavādavirodhibhiḥ

Translation

How much more severe, O twice-born, is the consequence for those sinners who have wholly abandoned the three Vedas, living on others’ food while opposing the teachings and authority of the Veda?

Word by Word

• किम्: what (then)
• किम्: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (interrogative particle)

• पुनः: further/more so
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/अधिक्ये (again/further)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• संत्यक्ता: abandoned
• संत्यक्ता: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √त्यज् (धातु) → संत्यक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे—“abandoned” (trayī-विशेषणम्)

• त्रयी: the three Vedas / Vedic triad
• त्रयी: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वात्मना: entirely, with all one’s being
• सर्वात्मना: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूतम्; अर्थः—“with the whole self/entirely”

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• परान्नभोजिभिः: by those who eat others’ food
• परान्नभोजिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + अन्न + भोजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य अन्नस्य भोजिनः)

• पापैः: sinful
• पापैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (…भोजिभिः/…विरोधिभिः)

• वेदवादविरोधिभिः: by those who oppose Vedic doctrine
• वेदवादविरोधिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + वाद + विरोधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदवादस्य विरोधिनः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Severity of consequences for abandoning Vedic authority and living by adharmic dependence.

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: admonitory

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Total abandonment of the Vedic triad and opposition to Vedic doctrine is portrayed as a graver moral-spiritual fall than ordinary lapses, especially when joined to parasitic living.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Keep a stable scriptural and ethical compass; avoid cynical rejection of dharma while exploiting religious/social systems for gain.

Vishishtadvaita: Scriptural authority (śāstra-prāmāṇya) is integral to approaching the Lord; rejecting it disrupts the soul’s proper dependence (śeṣatva) on Him.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Veda (Trayī)
• Dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the significance of ‘Trayī’ (the Vedic triad) in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, ‘Trayī’ represents the authoritative Vedic foundation of dharma; abandoning it is portrayed as a graver fault than ordinary wrongdoing because it rejects the root standard of sacred law.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the seriousness of opposing Vedic doctrine (veda-vāda)?

Parāśara intensifies the warning: not only is Vedic abandonment condemned, but active opposition to Vedic teaching is treated as a heightened transgression that undermines the moral and ritual order.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework treats Vedic dharma as part of the cosmic order sustained under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty; rejecting that order is therefore spiritually destructive.