Shloka 5
ज्यामघ-शैब्या-प्रसङ्गः
Jyāmagha and Śaibyā: Kingship, Fear, and Lineage Tension
अपुत्रा तस्य सा पत्नी शैब्या नाम तथाप्य् असौ अपत्यकामो ऽपि भयान् नान्यां भार्याम् अविन्दत
aputrā tasya sā patnī śaibyā nāma tathāpy asau apatyakāmo 'pi bhayān nānyāṃ bhāryām avindata
His wife, named Śaibyā, remained without a son. Yet though he longed for offspring, out of fear he did not take another wife.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Historical
Quality: didactic
Concept: Unchecked fear and attachment can distort dharmic decision-making, even in legitimate aims like lineage-continuity.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: When facing family pressures, distinguish fear-based compliance from principled restraint; seek counsel aligned with dharma.
Vishishtadvaita: Implied: household duties are to be ordered toward the Lord; anxiety-driven choices obscure the sattvic alignment of life with divine order.
Dharma Exemplar: Tension between putrārtha (desire for offspring) and household peace/obedience; restraint motivated by fear rather than dharma-clarity.
Key Kings: Jyāmagha, Śaibyā
FAQs
It highlights a dynastic crisis: without an heir the royal lineage and its dharmic continuity are threatened, which is a recurring concern in Ansha 4’s genealogical narrative.
Parāśara presents it as restraint born of fear—suggesting awareness of consequences (ethical, social, or political) that could arise from seeking another marriage merely for offspring.
Even in a seemingly domestic dilemma, the Purana’s dynastic history implies an underlying cosmic governance—lineages rise and continue within Vishnu’s overarching order that sustains society and dharma.