Shloka 46
भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः
पितर्य् उपरते सो ऽथ भ्रातृभ्रातृव्यबान्धवैः कारितः क्षेत्रकर्मादि कदन्नाहारपोषितः
pitary uparate so 'tha bhrātṛbhrātṛvyabāndhavaiḥ kāritaḥ kṣetrakarmādi kadannāhārapoṣitaḥ
When his father had passed away, his brothers, cousins, and kinsmen set him to field-labour and the like, keeping him alive only on coarse and inferior food.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How the protagonist was treated by relatives after the father’s death
Teaching: Historical
Quality: revealing
Concept: Worldly relations may bind through exploitation; endurance without inner collapse is a sign of spiritual maturity.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Respond to unfair treatment with steadiness, seek dharmic boundaries, and cultivate inner refuge through prayer and self-knowledge.
Vishishtadvaita: Suffering is borne without hatred, consistent with the devotee’s surrender (śaraṇāgati) and trust in the Lord’s governance.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse uses social and familial oppression to show how royal fortunes can decline after a father’s death, setting the stage for later restoration or moral consequence within the lineage.
By stating that brothers and other kinsmen compelled him into menial work and fed him poorly, Parāśara highlights how internal family power can override rightful dignity in a succession context.
Even in a seemingly political episode, the Purana frames rise and fall as operating within Vishnu’s sovereign order—where dharma, karma, and time govern outcomes beyond immediate human control.