Shloka 16
चत्वारोऽाश्रमाः — ब्रह्मचर्यादि मोक्षाश्रमपर्यन्तम्
The Four Āśramas as a graded path to mokṣa
अवज्ञानम् अहंकारो दम्भश् चैव गृहे सतः परितापोपघातौ च पारुष्यं च न शस्यते
avajñānam ahaṃkāro dambhaś caiva gṛhe sataḥ paritāpopaghātau ca pāruṣyaṃ ca na śasyate
For one who abides in household life, contempt for others, egoism, and hypocrisy are never approved; nor are deeds that cause affliction or injury, nor harshness in speech and conduct—these have no place in a home grounded in dharma.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Gṛhastha-dharma: faults to be avoided in the home and conduct that sustains dharma
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: For a householder, contempt, egoism, hypocrisy, harming others, and harsh speech are incompatible with dhārmic domestic life.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate respectful speech, transparency, and non-harming in family and social settings; treat the home as a place of sāttvika discipline.
Vishishtadvaita: Because all beings are the Lord’s body (śarīra), injury and contempt violate service to Him; household life becomes bhakti when governed by ahiṃsā and humility.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse frames the home as a dharmic arena: contempt, ego, hypocrisy, harm, and harshness undermine the household’s role in sustaining social order and spiritual progress.
Parāśara lists inner faults (avajñāna, ahaṃkāra, dambha) and outward harms (paritāpa, upaghāta, pāruṣya) to show that dharma requires both purified intention and non-injurious behavior.
Even without naming Vishnu, the teaching supports Vaishnava theology: living without ego, cruelty, and hypocrisy aligns the householder with Vishnu’s sustaining principle (dharma) that upholds the world.