Shloka 90
भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः
वृक्षारूढो महाराजो नायं वदति ते जनः न च दारुणि सर्वस् त्वां ब्रवीति शिबिकागतम्
vṛkṣārūḍho mahārājo nāyaṃ vadati te janaḥ na ca dāruṇi sarvas tvāṃ bravīti śibikāgatam
أيها الملك العظيم، حين تكون معتليًا شجرة لا يكلّمك رعيتك؛ وكذلك إذا جئت محمولًا في محفة فلا أحد يخاطبك.
Narrative voice within the dynastic account (framed by Sage Parāśara’s narration to Maitreya)
Concept: External status and posture condition social address, hinting that conventional dealings depend on upādhis (conditions) rather than intrinsic selfhood.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Notice how roles and symbols (rank, costume, platform) shape interaction; cultivate humility and discernment before reacting to social cues.
Vishishtadvaita: Begins the movement from social upādhis to deeper dependence of persons on a sustaining reality beyond mere externalities.
FAQs
This verse highlights how public speech and access to a king were governed by formal norms, reflecting dharma as social order within the genealogical narratives.
In the vaṃśa (dynasty) books, Parāśara uses brief, concrete details—like when subjects may address a king—to convey the lived structure of authority and propriety.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana frames kingship as part of a divinely ordered universe where righteous rule and social restraint uphold the cosmic order sustained by Vishnu.