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

ブラーフマナをはじめとする諸ヴァルナが、自らのスヴァダルマに背を向けて他の道へ向かうなら、その者たちは卑しい行いに立つゆえ「ナグナ」と呼ばれる。

Word by Word

ब्राह्मणाद्याःBrahmins and the others (beginning with Brahmins)

चand

येwho

वर्णाःsocial classes (varṇas)

स्वधर्मात्from one’s own duty

अन्यतोमुखम्toward another direction/with face turned elsewhere

यान्तिgo

तेthey

नग्नसंज्ञाम्the designation ‘nagna’ (naked/renouncer)

तुbut/indeed

हीनकर्मसुin inferior/low acts

अवस्थिताःsituated/remaining

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)

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.