Shloka 33
Pūru-vaṁśa, Duṣmanta–Śakuntalā, and the Rise of Mahārāja Bharata
स संराड्लोकपालाख्यमैश्वर्यमधिराट् श्रियम् । चक्रं चास्खलितं प्राणान् मृषेत्युपरराम ह ॥ ३३ ॥
sa saṁrāḍ loka-pālākhyam aiśvaryam adhirāṭ śriyam cakraṁ cāskhalitaṁ prāṇān mṛṣety upararāma ha
Als Herrscher über das gesamte Universum betrachtete Kaiser Bharata all diesen Reichtum schließlich als Hindernis für den spirituellen Fortschritt und hörte daher auf, ihn zu genießen.
Mahārāja Bharata had incomparable opulence in sovereignty, soldiers, sons, daughters and everything for material enjoyment, but when he realized that all such material opulences were useless for spiritual advancement, he retired from material enjoyment. The Vedic civilization enjoins that after a certain age, following in the footsteps of Mahārāja Bharata, one should cease to enjoy material opulences and should take the order of vānaprastha.
FAQs
This verse says that even the greatest imperial opulence—lordship, splendor, unbroken sovereignty, and even life—should be seen as ultimately unreal and thus can be given up in the spirit of detachment.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating this teaching to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as part of the Ninth Canto’s dynastic histories and their spiritual lessons.
Treat status, wealth, and control as temporary; use them responsibly in dharma, but cultivate inner detachment so your peace and devotion do not depend on external success.