Shloka 39
वंशस्मरण-फलम्, वैशालिका-प्रसङ्गः, रेवती-बलदेव-विवाहः, विष्णु-परतत्त्व-स्तुतिः
तत्पुत्रश् च जनमेजयः । जनमेजयात् सुमतिः । एते वैशालिका भूभृतः ॥
tatputraś ca janamejayaḥ | janamejayāt sumatiḥ | ete vaiśālikā bhūbhṛtaḥ ||
And his son was Janamejaya; from Janamejaya was born Sumati. These were the sovereign rulers of Vaiśālī—kings who upheld the earth’s order.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Identification of regional royal houses and their succession.
Teaching: Genealogical
Quality: clarifying
Concept: Kings are praised as ‘bhūbhṛt’—those who uphold the earth—implying governance is a dharmic trust, not mere power.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Treat leadership as stewardship: protect the vulnerable, uphold justice, and maintain civic order with accountability.
Vishishtadvaita: Earthly governance is a delegated function within the Lord’s cosmic order; rulers serve as instruments of dharma under the Supreme.
Dharma Exemplar: Bhū-bhṛt-dharma (the king as ‘upholder of the earth’—protection and order)
Key Kings: Janamejaya, Sumati
FAQs
This verse marks a dynastic continuation tied to Vaiśālī, presenting kingship as a dharmic office—rulers are described as bhūbhṛt, “bearers of the earth,” sustaining order within Vishnu’s cosmic governance.
Parāśara proceeds by direct succession—father to son—using compact name-lists to preserve memory of royal lines that structure sacred history and illustrate continuity of dharma across generations.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇic framework treats lawful sovereignty and lineage as operating under Vishnu’s supreme order—kingship is meaningful insofar as it protects dharma within that higher reality.