Shloka 58
Adhyaya 50 — Mind-Born Progeny, Svayambhuva Manu’s Lineage, and Brahmā’s Ordinance to Duḥsaha (Alakṣmī’s Retinue)
वृथोपवासिनो मर्त्या द्यूतस्त्रीषु सदा रताः ।
त्वद्भाषणोपकर्तारो वैडालव्रतिकाश्च ये ॥
vṛthopavāsino martyā dyūtastrīṣu sadā ratāḥ | tvadbhāṣaṇopakartāro vaiḍālavratikāś ca ye ||
«Les hommes qui jeûnent en vain, toujours adonnés au jeu et aux femmes, ceux qui recherchent la faveur par des paroles flatteuses, et ceux qui pratiquent le “vœu du chat” (observances hypocrites)—(leur conduite est blâmable).»
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FAQs
External religiosity (fasts, vows) is condemned when it is ‘vṛthā’—not aligned with self-restraint and truth. The verse targets common moral failures: addiction (gambling, sensuality) and social deceit (flattery), culminating in ‘vaiḍālavrata’, a stock image for hypocrisy.
Primarily ‘Vṛtti/Ācāra’ style material (practical dharma instruction) rather than sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita. It functions as ethical guidance embedded in narrative.
The ‘cat-vow’ symbolizes the mind that appears still and pious but is driven by predatory desire. The teaching cautions against tamasic spirituality—ritual used as a mask for craving and manipulation.