Shloka 38
Rules of Purity (Shauca) — Rules of Purity (Śauca), Permissible Foods, and the Duties of the Householder and Forest-Dweller
देशानुशिष्टं कुल धर्ममग्र्यं स्वगोत्रधर्मं न हि संत्यजेत् तेनार्थसिद्धिं समुपाचरेत नासत्प्रलापं न च सत्यहीनम्
deśānuśiṣṭaṃ kula dharmamagryaṃ svagotradharmaṃ na hi saṃtyajet tenārthasiddhiṃ samupācareta nāsatpralāpaṃ na ca satyahīnam
On ne doit pas abandonner le dharma éminent de la lignée tel qu’il est enseigné par le pays (la tradition locale), ni le dharma de son propre gotra. En s’y conformant, on obtient la réussite des buts. Qu’on ne se livre ni à un bavardage mensonger ou inconvenant, ni à une parole dépourvue de vérité.
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FAQs
Ethics here is continuity-based: one’s duties are not self-invented but received through family, clan, and region, and are to be upheld with truthful speech. The verse also ties moral discipline to practical flourishing (artha-siddhi), suggesting that integrity is socially and instrumentally stabilizing.
This is didactic ācāra material—normative guidance that Purāṇas embed alongside the five hallmark topics. It supports ‘vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita’ sections by preserving lineage identity (kula/gotra) and the ethical code that sustains it.
‘Deśa–kula–gotra’ forms a threefold matrix of identity (place, family, lineage). Truthful speech is presented as the binding force that keeps this matrix coherent; abandoning it leads to social and spiritual dislocation.