Shloka 10
तद् विदित्वा मुनि: प्राह पत्नीं कष्टमकारषी: । घोरो दण्डधर: पुत्रो भ्राता ते ब्रह्मवित्तम: ॥ १० ॥
tad viditvā muniḥ prāha patnīṁ kaṣṭam akāraṣīḥ ghoro daṇḍa-dharaḥ putro bhrātā te brahma-vittamaḥ
When the great sage Ṛcīka returned from bathing and understood what had occurred in his absence, he said to his wife Satyavatī, “You have done a grievous wrong. Your son will become a fierce kṣatriya, bearing the rod of punishment and able to chastise all; and your brother will become a foremost knower of spiritual science.”
A brāhmaṇa is highly qualified when he can control his senses and mind, when he is a learned scholar in spiritual science and when he is tolerant and forgiving. A kṣatriya, however, is highly qualified when he is fierce in giving punishment to wrongdoers. These qualities are stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18.42-43). Because Satyavatī, instead of eating her own oblation, had eaten that which was meant for her mother, she would give birth to a son imbued with the kṣatriya spirit. This was undesirable. The son of a brāhmaṇa is generally expected to become a brāhmaṇa, but if such a son becomes fierce like a kṣatriya, he is designated according to the description of the four varṇas in Bhagavad-gītā ( cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ ). If the son of a brāhmaṇa does not become like a brāhmaṇa, he may be called a kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra, according to his qualifications. The basic principle for dividing society is not a person’s birth but his qualities and actions.
FAQs
This verse shows that harmful actions—especially against the righteous—bring severe reactions, as the sage warns his wife that her deed was “grievous” and will invoke punishment.
He indicates that the son will act as an instrument of justice and retaliation, so her wrongdoing will not remain without consequence.
Act carefully and ethically, especially toward spiritually advanced or principled people; impulsive harm can create long-term backlash in relationships and one’s own peace of mind.