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 ||
«Os homens que jejuam em vão, sempre viciados em jogo e em mulheres, os que buscam favor por palavras lisonjeiras, e os que praticam o “voto do gato” (observâncias hipócritas)—(sua conduta é censurável).»
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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.