Shloka 7
गालवस्य विषादः तथा विष्णुप्रयाणम्
Gālava’s Despair and Resolve to Seek Viṣṇu
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । यथा निर्बन्धत: प्राप्तो गालवेन पराजय:
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam | yathā nirbandhataḥ prāpto gālavena parājayaḥ ||
Here too, they cite an ancient historical example: how, through sheer insistence and rigid persistence, defeat came upon Gālava. The verse is a moral warning—when one clings obstinately to a demand or course of action, even a capable person may be driven into failure by the force of that very compulsion.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions that stubborn insistence (nirbandha)—pressing a demand beyond reason—can itself become the cause of one’s defeat. Wisdom in dharma includes flexibility, restraint, and knowing when to yield.
Nārada introduces an old illustrative tale (itihāsa) and points to Gālava as an example: due to relentless insistence, a situation culminated in his defeat. The line functions as a transition into (or reminder of) a moralizing precedent.