Shloka 34
साम्ब-हरणम्, बलदेवस्य रोषः, हस्तिनापुर-आकर्षणम्
एष साम्बः सपत्नीकस् तव निर्यातितो बल अविज्ञातप्रभावाणां क्षम्यताम् अपराधिनाम्
eṣa sāmbaḥ sapatnīkas tava niryātito bala avijñātaprabhāvāṇāṃ kṣamyatām aparādhinām
O mighty one, here is Sāmba with his wife, now being sent forth from your presence. Forgive these offenders, for they did not know the true measure of your power.
A petitioner addressing a powerful authority (contextually a plea for pardon in the Sāmba episode; framed within Parāśara’s narration to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Historical
Quality: revealing
Concept: Culpability is softened when wrongdoing arises from ignorance of another’s true greatness, and mercy becomes the dharmic response.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Before judging, consider whether harm came from ignorance; correct, set boundaries, and forgive where possible.
Vishishtadvaita: Acknowledges gradations of knowledge and responsibility—central to Viśiṣṭādvaita’s emphasis on conscious dependence and right understanding (jñāna) as a condition for right action.
Vishnu Form: Hari
Bhakti Type: Dasya
FAQs
The verse frames aparādha as arising from ignorance of true prabhāva (sovereign power), and presents kṣamā as the dharmic remedy that restores order after wrongdoing.
Through narrative examples, Parāśara shows that moral breaches trigger real outcomes, and that humility and acknowledgment of higher authority are essential steps toward resolution.
Prabhāva points to an overriding sovereignty that humans may fail to grasp; the verse underscores that recognizing this supremacy is foundational to dharma and to Vaishnava moral vision.