Shloka 25

साम्ब-हरणम्, बलदेवस्य रोषः, हस्तिनापुर-आकर्षणम्

Devanagari script

धिङ् मनुष्यशतोच्छिष्टे तुष्टिर् एषां नृपासने पारिजाततरोः पुष्पमञ्जरीर् वनिताजनः बिभर्ति यस्य भृत्यानां सो ऽप्य् एषां न महीपतिः

Transliteration

dhiṅ manuṣyaśatocchiṣṭe tuṣṭir eṣāṃ nṛpāsane pārijātataroḥ puṣpamañjarīr vanitājanaḥ bibharti yasya bhṛtyānāṃ so 'py eṣāṃ na mahīpatiḥ

Translation

Shame on their delight in a kingly seat that is but the leavings of a hundred men! Even if a ruler’s attendants are adorned by women with clusters of blossoms from the celestial pārijāta tree, one who lives by such vanity is not truly lord of the earth.

Word by Word

• dhiṅ: shame! fie!
• dhiṅ: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhiṅ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निन्दार्थक-निपात (particle of censure)

• manuṣyaśatocchiṣṭe: in/at the leavings of a hundred men (i.e., filthy remnants)
• manuṣyaśatocchiṣṭe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक) + ucchiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मनुष्यशतस्य उच्छिष्टम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative)

• tuṣṭiḥ: contentment, satisfaction
• tuṣṭiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• eṣām: of these (people)
• eṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• nṛpāsane: on the king’s seat/throne
• nṛpāsane: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नृपस्य आसनम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• pārijātataroḥ: of the Pārijāta tree
• pārijātataroḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārijāta (प्रातिपदिक) + taru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पारिजातः तरुः), पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• puṣpamañjarīḥ: clusters of flowers
• puṣpamañjarīḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + mañjarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुष्पाणां मञ्जरीः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• vanitājanaḥ: a group of women
• vanitājanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vanitā (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वनितानां जनः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• bibharti: carries, bears
• bibharti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• bhṛtyānām: of servants
• bhṛtyānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि (even/also)

• eṣām: of these (people)
• eṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• mahīpatiḥ: lord of the earth, king
• mahīpatiḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (महीनां पतिः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya within the dynastic narrative of kingship and its moral evaluation)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To instruct that true sovereignty is ethical and selfless, not vanity fed by celestial luxuries, thereby correcting distorted ideals of kingship.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Rāja-dharma grounded in humility, service, and inner worth rather than pomp and sensual display.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: External splendor—even celestial ornaments—cannot confer true lordship; inner dharma alone makes one fit to rule.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Measure success by integrity and service, not status symbols; practice simplicity and accountability in leadership.

Vishishtadvaita: Śrī (Lakṣmī) as true auspiciousness is aligned with dharma; prosperity without righteousness is spiritually empty and not ‘śrī’ in the fullest sense.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Kings (nṛpa/mahīpati)
• Pārijāta tree

FAQs

What is the significance of criticizing the “king’s seat” in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse condemns attachment to mere status and courtly privilege, teaching that a throne without dharma is contemptible—true sovereignty is moral and dharmic, not decorative.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the difference between outward splendor and real kingship here?

By using the image of pārijāta flower-clusters adorning servants, Parāśara shows that even heavenly luxury cannot confer legitimacy; rulership is validated by conduct, duty, and protection of the earth.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context of kingship?

In Vaishnava thought, Vishnu sustains cosmic order (dharma); a king is “earth’s lord” only insofar as he reflects that sustaining order—otherwise his power is empty show.