Shloka 121

गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः

Devanagari script

चैत्यचत्वरतीरेषु नैव गोष्ठे चतुष्पथे नैव श्मशानोपवने सलिलेषु महीपते

Transliteration

caityacatvaratīreṣu naiva goṣṭhe catuṣpathe naiva śmaśānopavane salileṣu mahīpate

Translation

Tâu Đại vương, không được hành sự tại đền miếu, quảng trường, chuồng bò, ngã tư đường, bãi hỏa táng, vườn tược hay dưới nước.

Word by Word

चैत्यचत्वरतीरेषुon the banks/edges of shrine-squares (public sacred places)

नnot

एवat all/indeed

गोष्ठेin a cowshed/cattle-pen

चतुष्पथेat a crossroads

नnot

एवat all/indeed

श्मशानोपवनेin a grove near a cremation-ground

सलिलेषुin waters

महीपतेO king (lord of the earth)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; addressing a kingly listener within the instruction as 'mahīpate')

Characters & Entities

Parashara

Maitreya

Kings

FAQs

What is the significance of restricting sacred acts at crossroads, cremation grounds, and waters in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse emphasizes deśa-śuddhi (purity of place): certain locations are considered distracting, impure, or socially turbulent, and thus unsuitable for steady, sāttvika recitation or ritual observance.

How does Sage Parāśara explain proper discipline for religious practice in this chapter?

Parāśara lists practical do’s and don’ts—especially about place and conduct—so that worship and recitation are performed with composure, cleanliness, and reverence, aligning daily life with dharma.

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

Even when the verse is about outward discipline, its purpose is inward: creating the purity and mental steadiness that supports devotion and right orientation toward Vishnu as the supreme refuge and sustaining order (dharma).