Shloka 20
Dhruva-vaṁśa Continuation: Utkala’s Renunciation, Aṅga’s Sacrifice, and the Birth of Vena
Prelude to Pṛthu
यमङ्ग शेपु: कुपिता वाग्वज्रा मुनय: किल । गतासोस्तस्य भूयस्ते ममन्थुर्दक्षिणं करम् ॥ १९ ॥ अराजके तदा लोके दस्युभि: पीडिता: प्रजा: । जातो नारायणांशेन पृथुराद्य: क्षितीश्वर: ॥ २० ॥
yam aṅga śepuḥ kupitā vāg-vajrā munayaḥ kila gatāsos tasya bhūyas te mamanthur dakṣiṇaṁ karam
With no king, rogues and thieves oppressed the people; the realm lost all order and everyone suffered. Therefore the sages churned Vena’s right hand, and Lord Viṣṇu, as an aṁśa of Nārāyaṇa, manifested as King Pṛthu, the first ruler of the earth.
Monarchy is better than democracy because if the monarchy is very strong the regulative principles within the kingdom are upheld very nicely. Even one hundred years ago in the state of Kashmir in India, the king was so strong that if a thief were arrested in his kingdom and brought before him, the king would immediately chop off the hands of the thief. As a result of this severe punishment there were practically no theft cases within the kingdom. Even if someone left something on the street, no one would touch it. The rule was that the things could be taken away only by the proprietor and that no one else would touch them. In the so-called democracy, wherever there is a theft case the police come and take note of the case, but generally the thief is never caught, nor is any punishment offered to him. As a result of incapable government, at the present moment thieves, rogues and cheaters are very prominent all over the world.
FAQs
This verse shows that sages’ speech can act like a thunderbolt—capable of cursing and decisively correcting adharma when a ruler becomes irreligious.
In the narrative, the sages sought to restore order to society; by churning his right hand they manifested a qualified ruler (Pr̥thu) to protect the people and reestablish dharma.
Leadership must be aligned with ethics and spiritual values; when authority becomes exploitative, society needs principled correction and restoration of righteous governance.