Shloka 67

वेन-पृथु-प्रादुर्भावः, राजधर्मः, पृथिवीदोहनम्

Vena–Pṛthu Episode and the Milking of Earth

Devanagari script

अराजके नृपश्रेष्ठ धरित्र्या सकलौषधीः ग्रस्तास् ततः क्षयं यान्ति प्रजाः सर्वाः प्रजेश्वर

Transliteration

arājake nṛpaśreṣṭha dharitryā sakalauṣadhīḥ grastās tataḥ kṣayaṃ yānti prajāḥ sarvāḥ prajeśvara

Translation

O best of kings, when a realm is without a ruler, the Earth herself seems to swallow up all herbs and medicines; then, O lord of the people, every subject is driven toward decline and ruin.

Word by Word

• अराजके: when there is no king
• अराजके: Adhikarana (Temporal/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-rājaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — अधिकरण (in a kingless state)

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः’ = best of kings)

• धरित्र्या: by the earth
• धरित्र्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — करण (by the earth)

• सकलौषधीः: all the herbs
• सकलौषधीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakala + oṣadhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन — कर्मधारयः (‘सकला ओषधयः’ = all herbs); ‘ग्रस्ताः’ इत्यस्य कर्म (those swallowed)

• ग्रस्ताः: swallowed up
• ग्रस्ताः: Kriya (Participial—passive/कर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘(ओषधयः) ग्रस्ताः’ (having been swallowed)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — then/thereupon

• क्षयम्: destruction
• क्षयम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — कर्म (to destruction)

• यान्ति: go (to)/come to
• यान्ति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — ‘यान्ति’ (go/come to)

• प्रजाः: the people
• प्रजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — कर्ता

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘प्रजाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रजेश्वर: O lord of the people
• प्रजेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘प्रजानाम् ईश्वरः’ = lord of subjects)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, describing the dharma and necessity of kingship)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Without kingship, the Earth (Bhūmi) withholds medicinal and nourishing plants, and society collapses toward ruin.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Sustain collective well-being by upholding just governance, accountability, and stewardship of resources.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhūmi is treated as responsive to dharma; nature’s support is linked to rightful order within the divinely integrated world.

Vaishnava Theology

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Characters & Entities

• Earth (Dharitrī)
• Kings
• Subjects (Prajā)

FAQs

What is the significance of kingship in the Vishnu Purana according to this verse?

The verse presents kingship as a pillar of worldly dharma: without a ruler, even nature’s supports (herbs/medicine) seem to fail, and society collapses into ruin.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the link between governance and prosperity here?

He frames the kingless condition as a cosmic-social disorder: the Earth ‘swallowing’ herbs is a poetic way to say that nourishment and healing resources vanish when protection and regulation disappear.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching aligns with Vaishnava theology: Vishnu as the Supreme Preserver is mirrored in righteous rule, whose purpose is to sustain beings and uphold dharma.