Shloka 40
स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्
देवराजो मुखप्रेक्षो यस्यास् तस्याः परिग्रहम् मौढ्यात् प्रार्थयसे क्षेमी गृहीत्वैनं हि को व्रजेत्
devarājo mukhaprekṣo yasyās tasyāḥ parigraham mauḍhyāt prārthayase kṣemī gṛhītvainaṃ hi ko vrajet
O Kṣemī—if she is one whose face is sought by the king of the gods, then in folly you ask for her hand. For having taken her as your wife, who could then go forth in safety?
Sage Parāśara (narrating the dynastic episode to Maitreya; the verse itself is a quoted counsel within the story)
Manvantara: Vaivasvata
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (Svargaloka)
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Kṛṣṇa’s presence in Svarga provokes divine jealousy, setting the stage for Indra’s confrontation and subsequent humbling.
Leela: Yuddha
Dharma Restored: Reorientation of deva-authority under the Lord; curbing arrogance born of office and power
Concept: Seeking what belongs to another out of delusion invites peril, for envy and power retaliate against perceived encroachment.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Check desire that feeds rivalry; cultivate contentment and clarity before pursuing contested gains.
Vishishtadvaita: Even exalted rulers (devas) remain finite; security lies in alignment with Bhagavān’s order, not in positional power.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Bhakti Type: Madhurya
FAQs
It signals that the woman is so extraordinary that even the sovereign of the gods desires her, making her marriage a matter entangled with celestial power and rivalry.
Through an embedded warning: taking a spouse coveted by Indra invites conflict and instability, implying that worldly choices remain subject to higher cosmic and divine pressures.
Even in royal genealogies, the Purāṇa implies that true sovereignty and order ultimately rest under the supreme cosmic governance associated with Vishnu, before which even Indra’s status is subordinate.