Shloka 24
स्वाध्याय-योगोपदेशः तथा केशिध्वज-खाण्डिक्य-उपाख्यानम्
Yoga through Study and Restraint; The Keśidhvaja–Khāṇḍikya Narrative Frame
स त्वाम् अहं हनिष्यामि न मे जीवन् विमोक्ष्यसे आतताय्य् असि दुर्बुद्धे मम राज्यहरो रिपुः
sa tvām ahaṃ haniṣyāmi na me jīvan vimokṣyase ātatāyy asi durbuddhe mama rājyaharo ripuḥ
I will strike you down—alive you shall not escape from me. You are an ātatāyin, a wicked aggressor; O evil-minded one, you are my enemy, the usurper who has stolen my kingdom.
A wronged king/prince in the dynastic narrative (as recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Signs and conduct of Kali-yuga and the moral/political collapse it produces
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: The verse portrays the Kali-age degeneration where political conflict is framed as personal hatred and violence rather than dharmic adjudication.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Examine anger-driven narratives of “enemy” and “usurper,” and respond through lawful process and self-restraint rather than impulsive retaliation.
Vishishtadvaita: When dharma collapses, the need for surrender to the Lord as inner ruler (niyantṛ) becomes implicit, contrasting human rage with divine governance.
FAQs
It marks the opponent as a grave aggressor and frames the conflict as a dharmic response to violent wrongdoing and unlawful seizure, not mere personal vengeance.
By narrating royal disputes and succession crises, he highlights how protection of subjects, legitimacy of rule, and punishment of severe criminals uphold social order aligned with dharma.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s dynastic history is presented as unfolding under Vishnu’s supreme governance, where rightful sovereignty and justice mirror cosmic order.