nishedha | निषेध
Nishedha (Devanagari: निषेध; ISO 15919: niṣedha) refers to Prohibitions or Forbidden Actions.
The Divine "Don'ts" As the book of divine law, the Vedas lay out specific instructions for human conduct. These are categorized into Vidhi (prescribed duties or "do's") and Nishedha (prohibitions or "don'ts"). Nishedha includes all actions that are spiritually harmful or sinful (Paap).
Contextual Differences
- In Varnashrama Dharma: There are countless prohibitions regarding diet, purity, social interaction, and ritual conduct that must be strictly followed to avoid bad karma.
- In Raganuga Bhakti: The path of spontaneous love simplifies these rules into one master prohibition. As stated in the Padma Purana: "Never forget Shri Krishna." If a devotee observes this single prohibition (along with the positive injunction to always remember Him), all other prohibitions are automatically fulfilled.
Further Reading and Reference
- Related Concepts:
- Reference: Divya Swarth, Ch. 5