Shloka 53
मायामोह-प्रवर्तन, वेदमार्ग-बहिष्कार, तथा पाषण्ड-संसर्ग-दोषः
Māyāmoha’s Delusion, Rejection of the Vedic Path, and the Fault of Heretical Association
श्रूयते च पुरा ख्यातो राजा शतधनुर् भुवि पत्नी च शैब्या तस्याभूद् अतिधर्मपरायणा
śrūyate ca purā khyāto rājā śatadhanur bhuvi patnī ca śaibyā tasyābhūd atidharmaparāyaṇā
Ancient tradition tells that upon the earth there once lived a renowned king named Śatadhanu; and his wife, Śaibyā, was exceedingly devoted to dharma.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Consequences of dharma/adharma and the power of devotion as illustrated through an ancient royal narrative.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Dharma Exemplar: Rāja-dharma (exemplary adherence to dharma)
Key Kings: Śatadhanu
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse marks a genealogical turning point by naming a famed king and a notably dharmic queen, setting up subsequent events in the dynasty where moral conduct and its consequences become central.
By using “śrūyate” (“it is heard/handed down”), Parāśara presents the account as received tradition, a standard Purāṇic method for grounding royal history in authoritative remembrance.
Even in a verse focused on lineage, the emphasis on dharma reflects the Purāṇic view that righteous order—ultimately upheld by Vishnu—governs the legitimacy and fate of kings and their households.