Shloka 29

नरक-निर्णयः, पाप-कर्म-फल-व्यवस्था, प्रायश्चित्त-क्रमः, तथा हरि-स्मरण-परमत्वम्

Devanagari script

दिवा स्वप्नेषु स्कन्दन्ते ये नरा ब्रह्मचारिणः पुत्रैर् अध्यापिता ये च ते पतन्ति श्वभोजने

Transliteration

divā svapneṣu skandante ye narā brahmacāriṇaḥ putrair adhyāpitā ye ca te patanti śvabhojane

Translation

Aqueles que, embora vivam como brahmacārins, deixam cair sua semente até em sonhos durante o dia, e os que recebem instrução de seus próprios filhos—esses caem na condição degradada chamada Śvabhojana.

Word by Word

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (time adverb)

• स्वप्नेषु: in dreams
• स्वप्नेषु: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्कन्दन्ते: they fall down/slip
• स्कन्दन्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्कन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मचारिणः: brahmacārins (celibate students)
• ब्रह्मचारिणः: Visheshya (Apposition to narāḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुत्रैः: by (their) sons
• पुत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• अध्यापिताः: taught/instructed
• अध्यापिताः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधि+आपित (कृदन्त; आप्/आपय् (धातु) causative of √इ/√आप?; here ‘adhyāpita’ = caused to study/ taught)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• श्वभोजने: in ‘Śvabhojana’ (dog-food hell / place of dog-eating)
• श्वभोजने: Adhikarana (Destination/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्व+भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (श्वनां भोजनम्)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarin (student under vows)
• Putra (son)

FAQs

What is the significance of brahmacarya discipline in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats brahmacarya as a sacred vow whose breach—even through lustful emissions associated with dream-state indulgence—brings karmic downfall into an impure, degraded condition.

How does Sage Parāśara explain improper conduct regarding instruction and family roles?

He lists reversal of proper authority—being taught by one’s own son—as a mark of dharmic disorder, placing it alongside violations of continence as causes of spiritual and moral degradation.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the teaching presumes a cosmos governed by dharma under the Supreme Lord’s order, where ethical discipline sustains spiritual progress and violations yield inevitable karmic results.