Shloka 35
Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies
निशम्य तद् वचः तस्याः स मुनिर् नृपनन्दनाः धिङ् मां धिङ् माम् अतीवेत्थं निनिन्दात्मानम् आत्मना
niśamya tad vacaḥ tasyāḥ sa munir nṛpanandanāḥ dhiṅ māṃ dhiṅ mām atīvetthaṃ ninindātmānam ātmanā
Hearing her words, that sage—O beloved scion of kings—cried, “Shame on me, shame on me!” and, in bitter remorse, condemned his own self within his own mind.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; the verse itself describes the sage’s reaction)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: The sage’s remorse upon realizing the loss of centuries to delusion
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: When discernment returns, the wise condemn heedlessness and turn inward toward restraint and higher purpose.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Use regret as fuel for transformation—reduce distractions, recommit to sādhanā, and realign life with dharma.
Vishishtadvaita: The jīva’s self-judgment implies moral agency, yet its correction depends on reorientation toward the Lord, the inner ruler who enables right resolve.
FAQs
The verse highlights inner moral accountability: the sage, on hearing the woman’s words, turns judgment inward—showing that dharma is upheld not only by external rites but by conscience and self-correction.
By addressing a “descendant of kings,” the narration signals that rulers and heirs must learn governance through ethical exemplars—where even a sage admits fault and reforms, reinforcing dharma as the basis of sovereignty.
Though Vishnu is not named in this single verse, the Purāṇic frame assumes Vishnu as the sustaining order behind dharma; the sage’s remorse functions as alignment back toward that sustaining cosmic law.