Shloka 29
स्वाध्याय-योगोपदेशः तथा केशिध्वज-खाण्डिक्य-उपाख्यानम्
Yoga through Study and Restraint; The Keśidhvaja–Khāṇḍikya Narrative Frame
परलोकजयस् तस्य पृथिवी सकला मम न हन्मि चेल् लोकजयो मम त्व् अस्य वसुंधरा
paralokajayas tasya pṛthivī sakalā mama na hanmi cel lokajayo mama tv asya vasuṃdharā
His is the victory in the world beyond; the whole earth is mine. If I do not strike him down, the victory in this world will be his—yet this earth remains mine.
Unspecified (a king/ruler speaking in deliberation about sovereignty and rivalry; narrated within Parasara’s discourse to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Dharma, expiation, and the relative value of worldly vs otherworldly victory in the Kali-age decline
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Worldly dominion is contested and transient, and even a victor must weigh actions against higher, unseen consequences.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Before acting from rivalry, pause to assess long-term moral and spiritual outcomes rather than short-term gain.
Vishishtadvaita: Implicitly subordinates temporal power to the higher order upheld by Bhagavān as the inner ruler of dharma.
FAQs
It highlights that true success is not merely territorial conquest but the moral and karmic outcome that determines one’s standing beyond death—often contrasted with fragile earthly power.
Through narrative examples where rulers weigh land, fame, and dominance against the unseen consequences of action—showing that dharma governs both political authority and posthumous destiny.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s frame implies that sovereignty and its fruits ultimately rest on the divine order upheld by Vishnu; worldly victories are subordinate to cosmic law (dharma) sustained by him.