Shloka 92
मायामोह-प्रवर्तन, वेदमार्ग-बहिष्कार, तथा पाषण्ड-संसर्ग-दोषः
Māyāmoha’s Delusion, Rejection of the Vedic Path, and the Fault of Heretical Association
राज्यं कृत्वा यथान्यायं पालयित्वा वसुंधराम् तत्याज स प्रियान् प्राणान् संग्रामे धर्मतो नृपः
rājyaṃ kṛtvā yathānyāyaṃ pālayitvā vasuṃdharām tatyāja sa priyān prāṇān saṃgrāme dharmato nṛpaḥ
Having ruled the kingdom in accordance with justice, and having protected the earth as is proper, that king—faithful to dharma—then relinquished his beloved life-breath in battle.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Concept: A ruler’s life is validated by just governance and protection of the realm, even unto dhārmic death in battle.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Prioritize principled responsibility over personal comfort; accept difficult consequences when defending justice and those in one’s care.
Vishishtadvaita: Dharma-bound action and self-offering (tyāga of prāṇa in duty) can be understood as service within the Lord’s moral order governing Bhūmi.
Dharma Exemplar: kṣātra-dharma (righteous martial duty and protection of Bhūmi)
Key Kings: (unnamed) Videha king
Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi
FAQs
This verse frames ideal kingship as twofold: ruling with justice (yathānyāya) and protecting the earth (vasuṃdharā-pālana), culminating in a dharmic end—even death in battle—when undertaken righteously.
Parāśara highlights lawful governance and protection of the realm as the ruler’s core obligations; the king’s willingness to relinquish life in a just battle is presented as consistent with dharma rather than personal ambition.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s worldview treats dharma and the stability of the earth as upheld under Vishnu’s supreme order; righteous sovereignty mirrors that sustaining cosmic governance.