Shloka 22
यदि चेद् दुःखम् अत्यर्थं सुरुच्या वचनात् तव तत् पुण्योपचये यत्नं कुरु सर्वफलप्रदे
yadi ced duḥkham atyarthaṃ surucyā vacanāt tava tat puṇyopacaye yatnaṃ kuru sarvaphalaprade
If Suruci’s words have caused you overwhelming sorrow, then strive to accumulate merit—for merit is the giver of every fruit (every desired outcome).
King Uttānapāda (advising Dhruva, in response to Suruci’s harsh words)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Prescription for Dhruva’s overwhelming sorrow: effort toward puṇya as the source of all desired fruits
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: When afflicted by grief, one should strive for puṇya—merit that yields all fruits—by sustained right effort.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Channel emotional pain into disciplined practice: ethical living, service, austerity, and (in Vaishnava reading) devotion that purifies intention and transforms destiny.
Vishishtadvaita: In a Vishishtadvaita-friendly arc, karmic effort is not isolated self-power but becomes a preparation for surrender and grace, with the Lord as the ultimate giver of fruits.
FAQs
Puṇya is presented as “sarvaphalaprada,” the means that yields all results—implying that disciplined dharmic effort can transform suffering into auspicious outcomes.
Through royal counsel, the text redirects emotional pain caused by Suruci’s speech into purposeful striving—accumulating merit rather than reacting with despair.
Though not named in this single verse, the Dhruva narrative culminates in devotion and divine grace; merit and disciplined effort are portrayed as steps that ultimately orient the seeker toward Vishnu as the supreme refuge and fulfiller of fruits.