Shloka 20
Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies
तच्छापभीता सुश्रोणी सह तेनर्षिणा पुनः शतद्वयं किंचिद् ऊनं वर्षाणाम् अन्वतिष्ठत
tacchāpabhītā suśroṇī saha tenarṣiṇā punaḥ śatadvayaṃ kiṃcid ūnaṃ varṣāṇām anvatiṣṭhata
Terrified of that curse, the fair-hipped woman remained again in the company of that sage, abiding for a span of years—almost two hundred in number, just a little less.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Concept: Fear of the consequences of wrongdoing (śāpa-bhaya) can enforce outward restraint, extending endurance but not necessarily producing inner liberation.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Let consequences awaken responsibility, but cultivate positive inner transformation through devotion and discernment, not fear alone.
Vishishtadvaita: Moral order (dharma) is real and operative; yet true freedom arises when the jīva willingly aligns with the Lord, not merely under coercion.
FAQs
This verse shows a curse functioning as moral causality: fear of its consequence compels prolonged restraint and residence, shaping the next turn of the narrative tied to lineage and destiny.
By specifying an exact-yet-human span (“almost two hundred years”), Parāśara frames karmic consequence as something endured through time, not merely an instant punishment.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇic worldview assumes an ordered moral universe under Vishnu’s sovereignty, where dharma and karmic results unfold with measured inevitability.