Shloka 48

मायामोह-प्रवर्तन, वेदमार्ग-बहिष्कार, तथा पाषण्ड-संसर्ग-दोषः

Māyāmoha’s Delusion, Rejection of the Vedic Path, and the Fault of Heretical Association

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाद्याश् च ये वर्णाः स्वधर्माद् अन्यतोमुखम् यान्ति ते नग्नसंज्ञां तु हीनकर्मस्व् अवस्थिताः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇādyāś ca ye varṇāḥ svadharmād anyatomukham yānti te nagnasaṃjñāṃ tu hīnakarmasv avasthitāḥ

Translation

Les ordres sociaux, à commencer par les brāhmaṇa, qui détournent leur visage de leur propre svadharma pour suivre d’autres voies, sont dits « nagna », car ils demeurent établis dans des actes indignes et déchus.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाद्याः: Brahmins and the others (beginning with Brahmins)
• ब्राह्मणाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—ब्राह्मणादयः (आदि-शब्देन सह)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वर्णाः: social classes (varṇas)
• वर्णाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• स्वधर्मात्: from one’s own duty
• स्वधर्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative of separation)

• अन्यतोमुखम्: toward another direction/with face turned elsewhere
• अन्यतोमुखम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्यतः (अव्यय) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-समासः (directional)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• नग्नसंज्ञाम्: the designation ‘nagna’ (naked/renouncer)
• नग्नसंज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग्न + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• हीनकर्मसु: in inferior/low acts
• हीनकर्मसु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हीन + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• अवस्थिताः: situated/remaining
• अवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + स्था (धातु) → अवस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत्-प्रत्यय (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with वर्णाः/ते)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Consequences of varṇa-dharma transgression and the rise of heterodox/degenerate conduct

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Turning away from one’s svadharma is portrayed as a fall into hīna-karma and a socially stigmatized state (“nagna”).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat duty as integrity-in-action: uphold role-responsibilities and avoid rationalizing unethical shortcuts as ‘spiritual’ alternatives.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is framed as Bhagavat-ājñā (the Lord’s ordinance) sustaining social-spiritual order; deviation disrupts one’s relation to the divine will.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Varṇas
• Svadharma

FAQs

What is the significance of svadharma in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames svadharma as the stabilizing duty of each varna; abandoning it is portrayed as a fall into “hīna” (degraded) conduct that disrupts moral and social order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain deviation from one’s prescribed role?

Parāśara describes it as ‘anyatomukha’—turning away from one’s rightful orientation—resulting in a stigmatized status (‘nagna-saṃjñā’) associated with inferior actions.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching rests on Vaishnava dharma: sustaining the divine order that Vishnu upholds through cosmic sovereignty and moral law.