Shloka 16
भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः
तम् ऊह्यमानं वेगेन वीचिमालापरिप्लुतम् जग्राह स नृपो गर्भात् पतितं मृगपोतकम्
tam ūhyamānaṃ vegena vīcimālāpariplutam jagrāha sa nṛpo garbhāt patitaṃ mṛgapotakam
Swept along by the river’s force and engulfed by garlands of waves, the king seized that fawn—fallen from its mother’s womb—snatching it from the rushing current.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Continuation of the king-ascetic episode within Bhāratavarṣa narration
Teaching: Historical
Quality: illustrative
Concept: Dharma includes prompt compassionate action (rakṣaṇa) when life is endangered, even for non-human beings.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Respond quickly to suffering in your sphere—aid first, then reflect—while maintaining inner detachment from possessiveness.
Vishishtadvaita: Service (kainkarya) to dependent beings is consonant with devotion, yet must remain oriented to Nārāyaṇa to avoid binding attachment.
FAQs
The verse highlights royal compassion in the midst of danger, showing how small acts within dynastic history can become pivotal causes in later narrative outcomes under dharma and karma.
By embedding ethical choices inside lineage narratives, Parāśara shows that outcomes in royal histories arise from prior actions—compassion, protection, and restraint—unfolding within an ordered cosmos.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana frames history as governed by Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty—dharma and fate operate as expressions of that sustaining order.