Shloka 40
Means to Liberation: Supremacy of Hari, Proper Salutations, and Purāṇic Authority
यतो हितान्ये प्रतिपादयन्ति प्रवृत्तिधर्मान्स्वस्ववर्णानुरूपान् / अतो ह्यसूयन्ति सदा विमूढाः कलौ हि विप्राः प्रचुरा हि तेपि
yato hitānye pratipādayanti pravṛttidharmānsvasvavarṇānurūpān / ato hyasūyanti sadā vimūḍhāḥ kalau hi viprāḥ pracurā hi tepi
เพราะผู้มุ่งประโยชน์แก่สังคมย่อมสั่งสอนธรรมะแห่งการปฏิบัติ (ปรวฤตติธรรม) ให้เหมาะกับวรรณะของแต่ละคน ฉะนั้นในกลียุคผู้หลงผิดจึงริษยาอยู่เสมอ; ในกลียุคแม้ในหมู่ที่เรียกว่า ‘พราหมณ์’ ก็มีผู้มุ่งอคติและริษยามากมาย.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Pravṛtti-dharma should be taught according to one’s own varṇa; envy toward benefactors is a Kali-yuga symptom.
Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-doṣa of Kali and adhikāra-bheda (fitness-based instruction) within social order; ethical purification as prerequisite for higher pursuit.
Application: Seek teachers who instruct duties suited to one’s station and capacity; avoid envy toward reformers/benefactors; cultivate humility and gratitude in communal life.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Kali-yuga doṣa descriptions; sadācāra and varṇa-dharma sections (general thematic parallel)
FAQs
This verse highlights that welfare-oriented teachers uphold pravṛtti-dharma—practical, socially sustaining duties—tailored to people’s capacities and roles, preserving order and ethical conduct in the world.
It states that in Kali Yuga deluded people habitually resent and fault-find with those who teach beneficial, role-appropriate dharma—showing a cultural tendency to oppose genuine guidance.
Choose teachers by integrity and clarity of dharma rather than popularity, avoid envy-driven criticism, and practice duties appropriate to your life-stage and responsibilities with sincerity.