Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 20
Paraśurāma, Kārtavīryārjuna, and the Kāmadhenu Offense
with Lunar-line Genealogy to Gādhi and Jamadagni
स्त्रीरत्नैरावृत: क्रीडन् रेवाम्भसि मदोत्कट: । वैजयन्तीं स्रजं बिभ्रद् रुरोध सरितं भुजै: ॥ २० ॥
strī-ratnair āvṛtaḥ krīḍan revāmbhasi madotkaṭaḥ vaijayantīṁ srajaṁ bibhrad rurodha saritaṁ bhujaiḥ
Once while enjoying in the water of the river Narmadā, the puffed-up Kārtavīryārjuna, surrounded by beautiful women and garlanded with a garland of victory, stopped the flow of the water with his arms.
FAQs
This verse portrays a king so overcome by intoxication and pride that he plays in the Revā and even blocks its current with his arms—an image used in Bhagavatam histories to highlight the dangers of arrogance and loss of self-control.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates these dynastic histories to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, describing the king’s conduct in the Revā’s waters.
It warns that power, pleasure, and intoxication can inflate ego and lead to reckless behavior; cultivating sobriety, humility, and accountability keeps one aligned with dharma.