Shloka 47
भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः
स रूक्षपीनावयवो जडकारी च कर्मणि सर्वलोकोपकरणं बभूवाहारवेतनः
sa rūkṣapīnāvayavo jaḍakārī ca karmaṇi sarvalokopakaraṇaṃ babhūvāhāravetanaḥ
His limbs grew rough and sinewy, and he became dull in his labour; yet he served as an instrument for the good of all, his only wages being mere food.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: The outward transformation and social utility of the protagonist despite deprivation
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: didactic
Concept: One may serve the world as a mere instrument, taking no reward beyond necessity.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Do necessary duties with minimal attachment to outcomes and cultivate simplicity in needs.
Vishishtadvaita: Instrumentality aligns with śeṣatva (the self as ‘belonging to’ the Lord), preparing the ground for devotional surrender.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse highlights that even arduous, unrewarded labor—accepted with minimal compensation—can be framed as service that sustains the whole social body, aligning individual work with universal order.
Parāśara portrays a worker whose role benefits everyone, yet whose ‘wage’ is only food—emphasizing duty, simplicity, and contribution over personal gain within the dharmic structure.
Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching supports a Vaishnava view that social order and mutual support are part of the sustaining principle of reality—ultimately upheld by Vishnu as the Supreme sustainer.