Shloka 24

Devanagari script

भक्ष्याभक्ष्येषु नास्यास्ति पेयापेयेषु वै यतः नियमो मुनिशार्दूलास् तेनासौ साध्व् इतीरितम्

Transliteration

bhakṣyābhakṣyeṣu nāsyāsti peyāpeyeṣu vai yataḥ niyamo muniśārdūlās tenāsau sādhv itīritam

Translation

O tiger-like sages, in him there is no rule of restraint regarding what is fit or unfit to eat, and likewise what is fit or unfit to drink; therefore, by the warped measure of the Kali age, he is spoken of as a ‘sādhu’.

Word by Word

• भक्ष्याभक्ष्येषु: in (matters of) edible and inedible things
• भक्ष्याभक्ष्येषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अभक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective dvandva)

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

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

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पेयापेयेषु: in (matters of) drinkable and undrinkable things
• पेयापेयेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पेय (प्रातिपदिक) + अपेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (causal/relative adverb: 'because/wherefrom')

• नियमः: restriction; rule
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मुनिशार्दूलाः: O best of sages
• मुनिशार्दूलाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense in context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (muneḥ śārdūlāḥ = tigers among sages)

• तेन: therefore; by that
• तेन: Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• साधु: good; righteous
• साधु: Predicate (Karmadhāraya-like predication/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable-like predicative adjective); प्रशंसावाचक

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• ईरितम्: is declared/said
• ईरितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (it is said)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kali-yuga lakṣaṇas: inversion of values and degradation of dharma

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: In Kali-yuga, social language can perversely praise the unrestrained, showing how dharma becomes inverted when discrimination about purity and restraint collapses.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat popular approval as unreliable; evaluate conduct by śāstric standards of self-restraint (yama-niyama) rather than by social labels.

Vishishtadvaita: Implied need for śāstra-guided living as service to the Lord who is the inner ruler of moral order, even when society’s judgments fail.

Characters & Entities

• Sage Parasara
• Maitreya
• Sages (munis)

FAQs

What is the significance of restraint (niyama) in the Vishnu Purana’s description of Kali-yuga?

This verse treats the loss of restraint in eating and drinking as a clear symptom of Kali-yuga, showing how personal discipline is foundational to dharma and social order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain moral inversion in Kali-yuga here?

Parāśara indicates that standards become distorted: a person lacking basic discernment about permissible and impermissible consumption may still be praised as ‘sādhu,’ revealing a collapse of ethical judgment.

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

By highlighting Kali-yuga’s disorder, the Purana implicitly points to Vishnu as the supreme governor of cosmic order (dharma), under whose will decline and eventual restoration of righteousness unfold.