Shloka 20
अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः
अवज्ञाय वचस् तस्य जगृहुस् ते तदा धनम् स्त्रीजनं चैव मैत्रेय विष्वक्सेनपरिग्रहम्
avajñāya vacas tasya jagṛhus te tadā dhanam strījanaṃ caiva maitreya viṣvaksenaparigraham
Disregarding his words, they then seized the wealth—and even the womenfolk, O Maitreya—though all of it was under the protection and rightful guardianship of Viṣvaksena.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Historical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: When dharma is neglected, even what is under rightful guardianship becomes vulnerable to adharma’s seizure.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Treat trust, consent, and protection of dependents as inviolable; resist normalizing exploitation during social breakdown.
Vishishtadvaita: Implied dependence of worldly order on the Lord’s protective governance (rakṣakatva), which when withdrawn exposes jīvas to karmic turbulence.
Vishnu Form: Hari
FAQs
It underscores that the seizure was not merely theft but a violation of divinely sanctioned guardianship—an adharma that disrupts rightful order and sovereignty.
By highlighting “avajñā” (contempt for counsel/authority) leading directly to exploitation—wealth and women—Parāśara shows how moral collapse in rulers or aggressors manifests in concrete social harm.
Through Viṣvaksena (a Vaishnava divine guardian), the verse implies Vishnu’s overarching sovereignty: dharma is ultimately upheld under the Supreme’s order, and violations carry cosmic and karmic consequence.