Shloka 95
भरतचरितम्—मृगासक्ति-हेतुकः समाधिभङ्गः, जातिस्मरत्वं, रहूगण-जाḍभरत-संवादः
वस्तु राजेति यल् लोके यच् च राजभटात्मकम् तथान्यच् च नृपेत्थं तन् न सत्संकल्पनामयम्
vastu rājeti yal loke yac ca rājabhaṭātmakam tathānyac ca nṛpetthaṃ tan na satsaṃkalpanāmayam
Whatever in this world is called “a king,” whatever appears as the king’s men and instruments of rule, and whatever else is spoken of as sovereignty—none of it is born of true, righteous resolve. It is only a constructed name and form, not an enduring reality.
Sage Parāśara (in dialogue with Maitreya)
Concept: Kingship and sovereignty are merely conventional designations (saṃjñā) and appearances, not an ultimate reality grounded in sat-saṃkalpa.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Notice how social roles and titles are context-dependent labels; practice disidentifying from them in self-inquiry and decision-making.
Vishishtadvaita: Distinguishes transient upādhis (roles) from the enduring self that is a real mode (prakāra) of the Lord, supporting disciplined detachment without denying the world’s dependent reality.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
It frames political authority as a dependent, constructed identity—sustained by social naming and force—rather than an intrinsically righteous or ultimate reality.
He distinguishes between true inner resolve grounded in dharma (sat-saṃkalpa) and the external label of ‘king’ supported by attendants and power, implying the latter is unstable and contingent.
By diminishing the ultimacy of worldly rule, the passage implicitly elevates Vishnu as the enduring Supreme Reality and the true ground of order, before which temporal sovereignty is secondary.