Shloka 28
Pauṇḍraka’s False Vāsudeva Claim, His Death, and the Burning of Vārāṇasī by Sudarśana
सुदक्षिणस्तस्य सुत: कृत्वा संस्थाविधिं पते: । निहत्य पितृहन्तारं यास्याम्यपचितिं पितु: ॥ २७ ॥ इत्यात्मनाभिसन्धाय सोपाध्यायो महेश्वरम् । सुदक्षिणोऽर्चयामास परमेण समाधिना ॥ २८ ॥
sudakṣiṇas tasya sutaḥ kṛtvā saṁsthā-vidhiṁ pateḥ nihatya pitṛ-hantāraṁ yāsyāmy apacitiṁ pituḥ
بعد أن أتمّ سُدكشِنَةُ ابنُ الملك الطقوسَ الجنائزية الواجبة لأبيه، عزم في نفسه: «لا أُثأر لأبي إلا بقتل قاتله». فبهذا القصد، شرع سُدكشِنَةُ الكريم، مع كهَنته، في عبادة المهيشورا بتركيزٍ عميق.
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “The lord of the kingdom of Kāśi is Viśvanātha (Lord Śiva). The temple of Lord Viśvanātha is still existing in Vārāṇasī, and many thousands of pilgrims still gather daily in that temple.”
FAQs
He sought Śiva’s help and power to avenge his father Pauṇḍraka by killing the one he believed to be his father’s slayer—Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Here “apaciti” means repayment or requital—Sudakṣiṇa felt he would “repay” his father by taking revenge.
Even strong concentration and ritual power can be misused when driven by anger; Bhagavatam points seekers toward devotion aligned with dharma and humility rather than vengeance.