Shloka 41
भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः
अपध्वस्तवपुः सो ऽथ मलिनाम्बरधृग् द्विजः क्लिन्नदन्तान्तरः सर्वैः परिभूतः स नागरैः
apadhvastavapuḥ so 'tha malināmbaradhṛg dvijaḥ klinnadantāntaraḥ sarvaiḥ paribhūtaḥ sa nāgaraiḥ
Then that twice-born man—his body wasted and ruined, clad in soiled garments, with the spaces between his teeth foul and damp—was scorned and humiliated by all the townspeople.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Why a yogin may accept a despised appearance and endure social contempt
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: revealing
Concept: The yogin may willingly bear physical neglect and public contempt as a discipline that protects inner realization from pride and social dependence.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Build resilience to judgment; simplify lifestyle and accept discomfort without resentment, keeping attention on sadhana.
Vishishtadvaita: External degradation does not touch the self as the Lord’s śeṣa (dependent); dignity is grounded in inner surrender rather than social honor.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
It functions as a moral marker in the dynastic narrative—outer degradation and social contempt mirror an inner fall from dharma, showing how adharma ripens into visible suffering.
Rather than abstract doctrine, he depicts concrete signs—ruined body, dirty clothing, and social rejection—so the listener (Maitreya) grasps how karma and conduct reshape one’s standing in society.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s framework assumes him as the supreme governor of cosmic and moral order—dharma’s stability and the fruition of karma ultimately rest in his sovereignty.