Shloka 26
वेन-पृथु-प्रादुर्भावः, राजधर्मः, पृथिवीदोहनम्
Vena–Pṛthu Episode and the Milking of Earth
इति विज्ञाप्यमानो ऽपि स वेनः परमर्षिभिः पापो ददाति नानुज्ञां तदा प्रोक्तः पुनः पुनः
iti vijñāpyamāno 'pi sa venaḥ paramarṣibhiḥ pāpo dadāti nānujñāṃ tadā proktaḥ punaḥ punaḥ
Though repeatedly petitioned and instructed by the great seers, sinful Vena would not grant his consent; again and again the sages addressed him with earnest counsel.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: What happened when Vena rejected the sages’ dharmic counsel
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Repeated wise counsel does not benefit one who is entrenched in pāpa; refusal of dharmic permission becomes the seed of downfall.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Cultivate receptivity to corrective feedback from the wise and align authority with dharma rather than personal will.
Vishishtadvaita: Kingship is a delegated function within Bhagavān’s order; rejecting that order (dharma/yajña) is a moral rupture with real consequences.
Key Kings: Vena
Vishnu Form: Hari
FAQs
It highlights how kingship is legitimate only when aligned with dharma; Vena’s denial marks a breakdown of righteous sovereignty and sets the stage for corrective action in the lineage narrative.
Through this episode, Parāśara portrays the sages as persistent moral authorities who repeatedly counsel the king, emphasizing that spiritual law and social order stand above personal royal will.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana frames dharma as rooted in the Supreme Reality upheld by Vishnu; deviation from dharma is portrayed as instability that ultimately requires restoration of righteous order.