Shloka 22
मृगेन्द्र इव विक्रान्तो निषेव्यो हिमवानिव । तितिक्षुर्वसुधेवासौ सहिष्णु: पितराविव ॥ २२ ॥
mṛgendra iva vikrānto niṣevyo himavān iva titikṣur vasudhevāsau sahiṣṇuḥ pitarāv iva
This child will be mighty like a lion and worthy of shelter like the Himālaya. He will be forbearing like the earth and tolerant like his parents.
One is compared to the lion when one is very strong in chasing an enemy. One should be a lamb at home and a lion in the chase. The lion never fails in the chase of an animal; similarly, the head of the state should never fail in chasing an enemy. The Himālaya Mountains are famous for all richness. There are innumerable caves to live in, numberless trees of good fruits to eat, good springs to drink water from and profuse drugs and minerals to cure diseases. Any man who is not materially prosperous can take shelter of these great mountains, and he will be provided with everything required. Both the materialist and the spiritualist can take advantage of the great shelter of the Himālayas. On the surface of the earth there are so many disturbances caused by the inhabitants. In the modern age the people have begun to detonate atomic weapons on the surface of the earth, and still the earth is forbearing to the inhabitants, like a mother who excuses a little child. Parents are always tolerant to children for all sorts of mischievous acts. An ideal king may be possessed of all these good qualities, and the child Parīkṣit is foretold to have all these qualities in perfection.
FAQs
This verse praises Parīkṣit as heroic like a lion, sheltering like the Himalaya, forbearing like the earth, and tolerant like his noble forefathers.
Śukadeva uses these well-known symbols to highlight Parīkṣit’s royal strength (lion), his being a dependable refuge (Himalaya), and his capacity to endure hardships and offenses without losing dharma (earth).
Practice steady endurance in difficulties, remain patient with others’ faults, and become a reliable support for family and community—strength with compassion, not reactivity.