Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एकरात्रस्थितिर् ग्रामे पञ्चरात्रस्थितिः पुरे तथा तिष्ठेद् यथा प्रीतिर् द्वेषो वा नास्य जायते

Transliteration

ekarātrasthitir grāme pañcarātrasthitiḥ pure tathā tiṣṭhed yathā prītir dveṣo vā nāsya jāyate

Translation

Let him stay for a single night in a village and for five nights in a city; and even there he should dwell so that neither attachment nor aversion arises within him.

Word by Word

• एकरात्रस्थितिः: a stay of one night
• एकरात्रस्थितिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; एकरात्रस्य स्थितिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ग्रामे: in a village
• ग्रामे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• पञ्चरात्रस्थितिः: a stay of five nights
• पञ्चरात्रस्थितिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पञ्चरात्रस्य स्थितिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• पुरे: in a town/city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/in such a way
• तथा: Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तिष्ठेत्: should stay
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: so that/as
• यथा: Avyaya (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/adverb introducing manner)

• प्रीतिः: affection/liking
• प्रीतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• द्वेषः: hatred
• द्वेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अस्य: of him/for him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जायते: arises/is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Rules for a wandering renunciant: limited stay to prevent attachment/aversion

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A renunciant should limit residence—one night in a village, five in a city—so that attachment or aversion does not arise.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Keep deliberate boundaries with environments that intensify craving or hostility (news, social media, consumer spaces); rotate settings to preserve inner neutrality.

Vishishtadvaita: External discipline (niyama) is used to safeguard inner devotion and surrender, preventing the jīva from being re-captured by saṃsāric impressions.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of limiting one’s stay in villages and cities in the Vishnu Purana?

It minimizes social entanglement and dependency, supporting a life of discipline where the mind remains free from attachment and resentment.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the practical method to avoid attachment and aversion (rāga-dveṣa)?

By regulating one’s residence and conduct—staying briefly and living carefully—so emotional bonds and hostilities do not take root.

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

Detachment is presented as a dharmic discipline that steadies the mind for higher devotion and remembrance of Vishnu as the supreme reality beyond worldly likes and dislikes.