Shloka 73
वेन-पृथु-प्रादुर्भावः, राजधर्मः, पृथिवीदोहनम्
Vena–Pṛthu Episode and the Milking of Earth
स्त्रीवधे त्वं महापापं किं नरेन्द्र न पश्यसि येन मां हन्तुम् अत्यर्थं प्रकरोषि नृपोद्यमम्
strīvadhe tvaṃ mahāpāpaṃ kiṃ narendra na paśyasi yena māṃ hantum atyarthaṃ prakaroṣi nṛpodyamam
O king, do you not see that the slaying of a woman is a great sin? Yet you exert an extreme royal effort, resolved to kill me.
A threatened woman (unnamed in the provided excerpt) addressing a king in a dynastic narrative recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya
Concept: Violence is morally weighty—especially against the vulnerable—and must be scrutinized even when undertaken by a ruler.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Before harsh action, test it against proportionality, protection of the vulnerable, and availability of nonviolent alternatives.
Vishishtadvaita: Ethics operates within a theistic cosmos: even the king’s power is answerable to Dharma, which is ultimately grounded in the Lord’s order.
Dharma Exemplar: Dharmic discernment in use of force
Key Kings: Pṛthu
Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi
FAQs
This verse frames violence against women as mahāpāpa (a grave sin), reinforcing that royal power is legitimate only when restrained by dharma.
Through narrative episodes where a king is confronted by dharmic speech, Parāśara highlights that rāja-udyama (royal enterprise) must serve justice, not personal wrath.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s worldview assumes dharma as part of Vishnu’s cosmic governance—adharma in rulership disrupts order and invites consequence.