Shloka 6
कार्तवीर्य-गतिविशेषः
Kārtavīrya’s Unattainable Exalted Course
न नूनं कार्तवीर्यस्य गतिं यास्यन्ति पार्थिवाः यज्ञैर् दानैस् तपोभिर् वा प्रश्रयेण श्रुतेन च
na nūnaṃ kārtavīryasya gatiṃ yāsyanti pārthivāḥ yajñair dānais tapobhir vā praśrayeṇa śrutena ca
Surely, no earthly kings will attain the exalted course achieved by Kārtavīrya—whether through sacrifices, through gifts, through austerities, or even by humility and learning.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Merit is not mechanically guaranteed by external acts (yajña, dāna, tapas, learning); extraordinary ‘gati’ reflects integrated virtue, destiny, and the fruits of prior causes.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Do not reduce spiritual or worldly excellence to checklists; cultivate integrity, humility, and steady discipline while accepting that outcomes vary.
Vishishtadvaita: Implied: all achievements ultimately depend on the Lord’s sanction (niyantṛtva), so human effort is real yet subordinate to divine governance.
Dharma Exemplar: Royal excellence (aiśvarya + tapas) portrayed as unsurpassed; implicit standard for kṣatriya accomplishment.
Key Kings: Kārtavīrya (Kārtavīryārjuna)
FAQs
This verse presents his attainment as exceptionally rare—an unsurpassed standard of royal destiny that ordinary kings cannot reach even by major religious and ethical merits.
Parāśara lists the classical sources of merit and then denies that they alone can bring rulers to Kārtavīrya’s level, implying a unique convergence of destiny, power, and dharma in his case.
In the Vishnu Purana’s worldview, supreme order and sovereignty ultimately rest in Vishnu; extraordinary royal attainments are understood as operating under that higher divine governance rather than being produced by human effort alone.