Shloka 46
धर्मपालो नरपति: स तु सम्राड् बृहच्छ्रवा: । साक्षान्महाभागवतो राजर्षिर्हयमेधयाट् । क्षुत्तृट्श्रमयुतो दीनो नैवास्मच्छापमर्हति ॥ ४६ ॥
dharma-pālo nara-patiḥ sa tu samrāḍ bṛhac-chravāḥ sākṣān mahā-bhāgavato rājarṣir haya-medhayāṭ kṣut-tṛṭ-śrama-yuto dīno naivāsmac chāpam arhati
Emperor Parīkṣit is a king who protects dharma, renowned far and wide. He is truly a mahā-bhāgavata, a saint among rulers, and the performer of many aśvamedha sacrifices. Such a king, worn by hunger, thirst, and fatigue, does not deserve our curse at all.
After explaining the general codes relating to the royal position and asserting that the king can do no wrong and therefore is never to be condemned, the sage Śamīka wanted to say something about Emperor Parīkṣit specifically. The specific qualification of Mahārāja Parīkṣit is summarized herein. The King, even calculated as a king only, was most celebrated as a ruler who administered the religious principles of the royal order. In the śāstras the duties of all castes and orders of society are prescribed. All the qualities of a kṣatriya mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.43) were present in the person of the Emperor. He was also a great devotee of the Lord and a self-realized soul. Cursing such a king, when he was tired and fatigued with hunger and thirst, was not at all proper. Śamīka Ṛṣi thus admitted from all sides that Mahārāja Parīkṣit was cursed most unjustly. Although all the brāhmaṇas were aloof from the incident, still for the childish action of a brāhmaṇa boy the whole world situation was changed. Thus Ṛṣi Śamīka, a brāhmaṇa, took responsibility for all deterioration of the good orders of the world.
FAQs
This verse praises Parīkṣit as a protector of dharma, a renowned emperor, and a direct mahā-bhāgavata (great devotee), indicating his saintly nature even as a ruler.
Because Parīkṣit’s offense occurred while he was overcome by hunger, thirst, and exhaustion, and his lifelong identity was that of a righteous, devoted rājarṣi—so the punishment was disproportionate.
It encourages judging others with compassion by considering context (stress, fatigue) and recognizing a person’s overall character, rather than condemning them harshly for a momentary lapse.