Shloka 25
तथान्ये च महावीर्या नृपाणां भवनेषु ये समुत्पन्ना दुरात्मानस् तान् न संख्यातुम् उत्सहे
tathānye ca mahāvīryā nṛpāṇāṃ bhavaneṣu ye samutpannā durātmānas tān na saṃkhyātum utsahe
So too, there were other men of great might—born within the households of kings—yet wicked at heart; to reckon them all in number, I do not presume.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Scope of adharma beyond named demons—its spread through political power and lineage
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: He appears to quell not only famed asuras but also innumerable wicked, powerful oppressors arising within royal houses, restoring righteous kingship and social order.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Righteous governance and protection of subjects
Concept: Power without virtue multiplies adharma; wickedness can arise even in noble lineages, and its extent may be beyond counting.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Treat status and authority as stewardship; cultivate humility, accountability, and devotion so that strength serves dharma rather than ego.
Vishishtadvaita: All capacities (vīrya) are ultimately the Lord’s endowment; when misused, they oppose the divine order and invite corrective divine governance.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
It signals the vast proliferation of powerful yet unrighteous figures in royal circles, emphasizing a widespread decline in dharma that sets the narrative backdrop for divine restoration of order.
By noting that many 'greatly mighty' persons arise within kings’ households yet remain wicked-minded, Parāśara frames adharma as systemic—rooted in power structures and lineage—not merely individual fault.
The verse prepares the moral and political stage for Vishnu’s sovereign role as the restorer of cosmic order: when unrighteous power becomes innumerable, divine governance manifests to re-establish dharma.