Shloka 75
वेन-पृथु-प्रादुर्भावः, राजधर्मः, पृथिवीदोहनम्
Vena–Pṛthu Episode and the Milking of Earth
प्रजानाम् उपकाराय यदि मां त्वं हनिष्यसि आधारः कः प्रजानां ते नृपश्रेष्ठ भविष्यति
prajānām upakārāya yadi māṃ tvaṃ haniṣyasi ādhāraḥ kaḥ prajānāṃ te nṛpaśreṣṭha bhaviṣyati
If, for the supposed welfare of your subjects, you intend to kill me—then tell me, O best of kings: when I am gone, what support will remain for your people?
Uncertain (verse presented without surrounding narrative context); likely a counsel-giver addressing a king within the dynastic narratives narrated by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya
Avatara: Varaha
Purpose: As Varāha, Viṣṇu restores the Earth’s stability and sustenance so beings may live and dharma may continue.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Lokadhāraṇa—support of creatures through the Earth’s capacity to sustain life
Concept: The ruler’s claim of acting for subjects must be tested by whether his act preserves the very support of life, not merely his asserted policy.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Before drastic action, examine second-order consequences on dependents and the systems that sustain them.
Vishishtadvaita: Earth is a dependent reality sustained within the Lord’s order; governance must align with that sustaining dharma rather than egoic intent.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi
FAQs
This verse frames kingship as a sustaining responsibility: the ruler is expected to function as a stabilizing support for social order and the welfare of the prajā, not merely as a punisher or conqueror.
Through episodes involving rulers and counselors, Parāśara illustrates that legitimate sovereignty is measured by protection, continuity, and the maintenance of order—where decisions must be weighed against their impact on the people’s stability.
Even when Vishnu is not explicitly named, the Purana’s political ethics rest on dharma as part of cosmic order upheld by Vishnu; ideal rule aligns human sovereignty with that higher sustaining principle.