Shloka 97

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

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

Devanagari script

तस्मात् पाषण्डिभिः पापैर् आलापस्पर्शनं त्यजेत् विशेषतः क्रियाकाले यज्ञादौ चापि दीक्षितः

Transliteration

tasmāt pāṣaṇḍibhiḥ pāpair ālāpasparśanaṃ tyajet viśeṣataḥ kriyākāle yajñādau cāpi dīkṣitaḥ

Translation

तस्मात् पाषण्डिभिः पापैरालापस्पर्शनं त्यजेत् । विशेषतः क्रियाकाले यज्ञादौ चापि दीक्षितः ॥

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण निपातवत् प्रयोगः = Ablative singular used adverbially: therefore/from that

• पाषण्डिभिः: with heretics
• पाषण्डिभिः: Saha/Instrument (सह/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन = Masculine, Instrumental plural

• पापैः: sinful
• पापैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् = Masculine, Instrumental plural; qualifies "pāṣaṇḍibhiḥ"

• आलापस्पर्शनम्: conversation and physical contact
• आलापस्पर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलाप + स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular (copulative: "talking and touching")

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम् = Optative, 3rd person singular, Parasmaipada

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्) = Indeclinable adverb: especially

• क्रियाकाले: at the time of ritual action
• क्रियाकाले: Adhikarana (Location/time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रियाकाल (प्रातिपदिक; क्रिया + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन = Masculine, Locative singular

• यज्ञादौ: in sacrifices and the like
• यज्ञादौ: Adhikarana (Location/time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञादि (प्रातिपदिक; यज्ञ + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन = Masculine, Locative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थकः) = Conjunction: and

• अपि: also
• अपि: Emphasis/Addition (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थे) = Particle: also/even

• दीक्षितः: one who is initiated (a consecrated person)
• दीक्षितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षित (प्रातिपदिक; दिक्ष्/दीक्ष् धातु + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/PPP) विशेष्यवत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन = Past passive participle used as noun/adjective; Masculine, Nominative singular

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Dīkṣita (the initiated practitioner)

FAQs

What is the significance of avoiding contact with pāṣaṇḍas in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames ritual purity as a dharmic safeguard: the initiated practitioner preserves the sanctity and efficacy of sacred rites by avoiding contaminating influences during consecrated actions.

How does Sage Parāśara explain proper conduct for a dīkṣita during rituals?

Parāśara emphasizes heightened restraint at kriyā-kāla—especially in yajña—by instructing the dīkṣita to avoid both speech-interaction and physical contact that could compromise ritual discipline.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching supports Vaishnava cosmology where dharma and sacrificial order uphold the world; maintaining purity in rites aligns the practitioner with the sustaining sovereignty of Vishnu as preserver of cosmic order.