Shloka 85
Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā
अद्रोहेणैव भूतानामल्पद्रोहेण वा पुनः / या वृत्तिस्तां समास्थाय विप्रो जीवेदनापदि
adroheṇaiva bhūtānāmalpadroheṇa vā punaḥ / yā vṛttistāṃ samāsthāya vipro jīvedanāpadi
Sans nuire aux êtres vivants—ou du moins en ne causant que le moindre tort—le brahmane doit adopter le moyen d’existence qui s’y accorde et vivre selon lui, tant qu’il n’y a pas d’urgence.
Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra, as part of dharma instruction)
Concept: Ahimsa-guided livelihood: adopt a means of living that avoids harming beings, or minimizes harm when unavoidable; exceptions only in āpaddharma (emergency).
Vedantic Theme: Purification of antaḥkaraṇa through sattvic conduct; karma-śuddhi as preparation for jñāna/bhakti.
Application: Choose work that reduces harm (ethical sourcing, non-exploitative practices); when harm is structurally unavoidable, minimize it and compensate through service/charity; distinguish normal duty from emergency exceptions.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana dharma/ācāra material on brāhmaṇa-vṛtti and āpaddharma exceptions (general internal link)
FAQs
This verse treats non-harm (adroha) as the baseline for choosing one’s livelihood, indicating that dharma begins with minimizing injury to living beings in ordinary life.
By prescribing a livelihood grounded in minimal harm, it implies that everyday actions generate karmic results; ethical restraint reduces negative karma that later manifests as suffering in post-death accounts elsewhere in the Purana.
Choose work and daily habits that avoid exploitation and unnecessary violence; when harm is unavoidable, reduce it as much as possible—especially in normal times, not only in crises.