Shloka 25

पुंसां क्रिया-विभागः, संस्काराः, नामकरणम्, विवाहविधानम्

Devanagari script

एतेषां यस्य यो धर्मो वर्णस्योक्तो महर्षिभिः कुर्वीत दाराहरणं तेनान्यं परिवर्जयेत्

Transliteration

eteṣāṃ yasya yo dharmo varṇasyokto maharṣibhiḥ kurvīta dārāharaṇaṃ tenānyaṃ parivarjayet

Translation

Đối với mỗi hạng người, các đại hiền đã nêu rõ bổn phận theo varṇa của mình; người ta hãy thực hành đúng như vậy. Còn kẻ cướp đoạt vợ người khác thì phải bị mọi người ruồng bỏ và tránh xa.

Word by Word

• eteṣām: of these
• eteṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (whose)

• yaḥ: which
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘dharmaḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (which)

• dharmaḥ: duty/law
• dharmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• varṇasya: of the social class (varṇa)
• varṇasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• uktaḥ: declared
• uktaḥ: Karta (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (वच्) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्तः (said/declared)

• maharṣibhiḥ: by the great sages
• maharṣibhiḥ: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• kurvīta: should do/undertake
• kurvīta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/संभावना-आदेश), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• dārāharaṇam: taking a wife (marriage)
• dārāharaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāra (प्रातिपदिक) + āharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दाराणाम् आहरणम्)

• tena: by that (rule)
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तेन = तस्मिन्/तद्विधिना (thereby/by that)

• anyam: another (one)
• anyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• parivarjayet: should avoid
• parivarjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√vṛj (वृज्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Varṇa-specific dharma and the grave social-ethical breach of dārāharaṇa (taking another’s wife)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: stern and authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: One should adhere to one’s prescribed dharma, and the violation of marital integrity is a condemnable adharma warranting social exclusion.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Uphold consent and fidelity; build communities that protect vulnerable relationships through clear norms and accountability.

Vishishtadvaita: Adharma is opposition to the Lord’s moral order; protecting marital dharma is a form of protecting the jīva, who belongs to God.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Characters & Entities

• Maharishis
• Varna (social orders)
• Parashara
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of varṇa-dharma in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames varṇa-dharma as a seer-sanctioned structure for social harmony: one should perform the duties assigned to one’s station and avoid actions that destabilize households and community order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain social discipline in this context?

Parāśara presents discipline as adherence to prescribed duties and clear communal consequences for grave violations—here, the social shunning of one who violates marital sanctity.

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

Although Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s dharma-teaching rests on Vishnu as the supreme ground of cosmic order; protecting household and ethical law is portrayed as aligning society with that higher, sustaining reality.