Shloka 39
स्ववर्णधर्माभिरता वेदमार्गानुसारिणः न शक्यास् ते ऽरयो हन्तुम् अस्माभिस् तपसान्विताः
svavarṇadharmābhiratā vedamārgānusāriṇaḥ na śakyās te 'rayo hantum asmābhis tapasānvitāḥ
Devoted to the duties of their own station and steadfast followers of the Vedic path, those foes cannot be slain by us—men endowed only with austerity.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Concept: Even enemies become difficult to overcome when grounded in svadharma and Vedic discipline; mere tapas without the right means is insufficient.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Do not underestimate disciplined opponents; align effort with right method (upāya) and righteous strategy rather than relying only on personal austerity.
Vishishtadvaita: Implies dharma has real efficacy within the Lord’s order; victory requires sanctioned means consistent with divine governance, not mere individual power.
Vishnu Form: Hari
FAQs
This verse treats adherence to one’s rightful dharma and the Vedic path as a form of spiritual and moral protection that makes such people difficult to overcome.
He implies that austerity alone is not an all-conquering weapon; against opponents grounded in Vedic dharma, mere ascetic power may be insufficient without rightful authority and alignment with dharma.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the verse assumes dharma as Vishnu’s sustaining order in the world—those aligned with that order are portrayed as protected by the cosmic principle he upholds.