Shloka 99
Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies
ते ऽपि तेनैव मार्गेण प्रयाताः सर्वतो दिशम् अद्यापि न निवर्तन्ते समुद्रेभ्य इवापगाः
te 'pi tenaiva mārgeṇa prayātāḥ sarvato diśam adyāpi na nivartante samudrebhya ivāpagāḥ
They too, having set forth by that very path in every direction, do not return even now—just as rivers, once they have reached the ocean, do not flow back from it.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Fate of the Śabalāśvas after choosing the same path as their brothers.
Teaching: Historical
Quality: revealing
Concept: Some courses of action, once pursued to their ‘ocean’ (terminal consequence), do not admit return; discernment is required before crossing such thresholds.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Treat major life commitments as one-way doors: pause, consult wise counsel, and reflect on long-term outcomes before proceeding.
Vishishtadvaita: The metaphor of rivers meeting the ocean can also suggest the soul’s movement toward the supreme—yet in Viśiṣṭādvaita, union preserves identity as a mode of Brahman, not annihilation.
Key Kings: Śabalāśva
FAQs
It teaches irreversibility: once a course is taken to its final end—like rivers entering the ocean—there is no return to the former state.
By comparing their onward movement to rivers that, after reaching the sea, do not flow back—illustrating a fixed, orderly progression within the cosmic system.
The imagery supports a Vaishnava worldview where all movements and ends are contained within a supreme order, ultimately converging toward the highest reality governed by Vishnu.