Shloka 85
Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā
अद्रोहेणैव भूतानामल्पद्रोहेण वा पुनः / या वृत्तिस्तां समास्थाय विप्रो जीवेदनापदि
adroheṇaiva bhūtānāmalpadroheṇa vā punaḥ / yā vṛttistāṃ samāsthāya vipro jīvedanāpadi
Не причиняя вреда живым существам — или, по крайней мере, причиняя наименьший возможный вред, — брахман должен избрать соответствующий этому образ жизни и жить им, пока нет крайней нужды.
Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra, as part of dharma instruction)
Concept: Ahimsa-guided livelihood: adopt a means of living that avoids harming beings, or minimizes harm when unavoidable; exceptions only in āpaddharma (emergency).
Vedantic Theme: Purification of antaḥkaraṇa through sattvic conduct; karma-śuddhi as preparation for jñāna/bhakti.
Application: Choose work that reduces harm (ethical sourcing, non-exploitative practices); when harm is structurally unavoidable, minimize it and compensate through service/charity; distinguish normal duty from emergency exceptions.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana dharma/ācāra material on brāhmaṇa-vṛtti and āpaddharma exceptions (general internal link)
FAQs
This verse treats non-harm (adroha) as the baseline for choosing one’s livelihood, indicating that dharma begins with minimizing injury to living beings in ordinary life.
By prescribing a livelihood grounded in minimal harm, it implies that everyday actions generate karmic results; ethical restraint reduces negative karma that later manifests as suffering in post-death accounts elsewhere in the Purana.
Choose work and daily habits that avoid exploitation and unnecessary violence; when harm is unavoidable, reduce it as much as possible—especially in normal times, not only in crises.