Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 47
Diti’s Puṁsavana Vow, Indra’s Intervention, and the Birth of the Maruts
श्रीकश्यप उवाच न हिंस्याद्भूतजातानि न शपेन्नानृतं वदेत् । न छिन्द्यान्नखरोमाणि न स्पृशेद्यदमङ्गलम् ॥ ४७ ॥
śrī-kaśyapa uvāca na hiṁsyād bhūta-jātāni na śapen nānṛtaṁ vadet na chindyān nakha-romāṇi na spṛśed yad amaṅgalam
迦叶牟尼说：贤妻啊，为持此誓戒，不可伤害任何众生；不可咒诅他人，不可妄语；不可剪指甲与头发；亦不可触碰骷髅、骨骸等不净不祥之物。
Kaśyapa Muni’s first instruction to his wife was not to be envious. The general tendency of anyone within this material world is to be envious, and therefore, to become a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, one must curb this tendency, as stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ( paramo nirmatsarāṇām ). A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always nonenvious, whereas others are always envious. Thus Kaśyapa Muni’s instruction that his wife not be envious indicates that this is the first stage of advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kaśyapa Muni desired to train his wife to be a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, for this would suffice to protect both her and Indra.
FAQs
In this verse, Kaśyapa Muni instructs that one should not harm any living being—ahimsa is presented as a foundational discipline, especially while observing sacred vows.
Kaśyapa emphasizes purity of speech during vrata: cursing and untruth disturb one’s spiritual discipline and create inauspicious reactions, obstructing the intended spiritual result.
Practice nonviolence in thought and action, avoid harsh or curse-like speech, commit to truthfulness, and maintain cleanliness and mindful avoidance of inauspicious influences—especially during fasting, japa, or devotional observances.