Shloka 47
Diti’s Puṁsavana Vow, Indra’s Intervention, and the Birth of the Maruts
श्रीकश्यप उवाच न हिंस्याद्भूतजातानि न शपेन्नानृतं वदेत् । न छिन्द्यान्नखरोमाणि न स्पृशेद्यदमङ्गलम् ॥ ४७ ॥
śrī-kaśyapa uvāca na hiṁsyād bhūta-jātāni na śapen nānṛtaṁ vadet na chindyān nakha-romāṇi na spṛśed yad amaṅgalam
Śrī Kaśyapa dit : Ma chère, pour observer ce vœu, ne fais de mal à aucun être. Ne maudis personne et ne dis pas de mensonge. Ne coupe ni tes ongles ni tes cheveux, et ne touche pas aux choses impures et de mauvais augure, telles que crânes et ossements.
Kaśyapa Muni’s first instruction to his wife was not to be envious. The general tendency of anyone within this material world is to be envious, and therefore, to become a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, one must curb this tendency, as stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ( paramo nirmatsarāṇām ). A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always nonenvious, whereas others are always envious. Thus Kaśyapa Muni’s instruction that his wife not be envious indicates that this is the first stage of advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kaśyapa Muni desired to train his wife to be a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, for this would suffice to protect both her and Indra.
FAQs
In this verse, Kaśyapa Muni instructs that one should not harm any living being—ahimsa is presented as a foundational discipline, especially while observing sacred vows.
Kaśyapa emphasizes purity of speech during vrata: cursing and untruth disturb one’s spiritual discipline and create inauspicious reactions, obstructing the intended spiritual result.
Practice nonviolence in thought and action, avoid harsh or curse-like speech, commit to truthfulness, and maintain cleanliness and mindful avoidance of inauspicious influences—especially during fasting, japa, or devotional observances.