Shloka 3
प्रचेतसां तपः तथा विष्णु-स्तुतिः
The Pracetases’ Ocean Tapas and Hymn to Vishnu
प्राचीनबर्हिर् भगवान् महान् आसीत् प्रजापतिः हविर्धानिर् महाराजो येन संवर्धिताः प्रजाः
prācīnabarhir bhagavān mahān āsīt prajāpatiḥ havirdhānir mahārājo yena saṃvardhitāḥ prajāḥ
Prācīnabarhis was exalted and mighty, becoming a Prajāpati. And there was the great king Havirdhāni, by whom the subjects were nourished and brought to prosperity.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Concept: The mark of righteous sovereignty is prajā-saṃvardhana—governance that protects and increases the welfare of subjects, aligning kingship with cosmic order.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: In leadership roles, measure success by the flourishing of dependents (family, team, society), not by personal gain; practice protection, fairness, and sustenance.
Vishishtadvaita: Worldly offices (like kingship/prajāpati-hood) are meaningful when performed as service within the Lord’s order, integrating devotion with social duty.
Dharma Exemplar: Prajā-pālana (nourishing protection of subjects)
Key Kings: Prācīnabarhis, Havirdhāni
FAQs
In this verse, ‘Prajāpati’ marks a king whose sovereignty is linked to generative and sustaining order—one who increases and stabilizes life and society, not merely rules by power.
Parāśara highlights kings by their dharmic function—here, the ruler is praised for ‘saṃvardhana’, the active fostering of the people—indicating legitimacy through protection, prosperity, and social increase.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana frames righteous lineage and kingship as expressions of cosmic order ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s supreme governance—royal dharma mirrors the sustaining principle of the Supreme Reality.