Shloka 21
ध्रुवस्य निर्वेदः — मन्त्रोपदेशः (ॐ नमो वासुदेवाय) तथा विष्ण्वाराधनविधिः
तथापि दुःखं न भवान् कर्तुम् अर्हति पुत्रक यस्य यावत् स तेनैव स्वेन तुष्यति बुद्धिमान्
tathāpi duḥkhaṃ na bhavān kartum arhati putraka yasya yāvat sa tenaiva svena tuṣyati buddhimān
Even so, my child, you ought not to give way to sorrow—for as long as the wise are content with what is truly their own, by that alone they remain satisfied.
Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; voiced as parental counsel within the story)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How Dhruva should respond to insult and sorrow; teaching on santoṣa with one’s rightful allotment
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: The wise remain satisfied by what is truly their own, and therefore should not sink into sorrow over what lies beyond their rightful share.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice santoṣa: focus on duties and what can be ethically earned, reducing anxiety by releasing entitlement and comparison.
Vishishtadvaita: Encourages inner equanimity that prepares the jīva for bhakti—accepting one’s condition while turning toward the Lord as the ultimate refuge.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse presents contentment with one’s own rightful portion (sva) as the mark of the wise, implying that grief lessens when desire and comparison are restrained.
He frames sorrow as something one should not ‘do’ or cultivate; steadiness comes from accepting what is truly one’s own and remaining inwardly satisfied.
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching supports a Vaishnava view of cosmic order: wisdom is living in harmony with dharma under the sovereignty of the Supreme Reality who upholds right measure and rightful allotment.