Shloka 51
The Liberation of the Lizard
Godhā-vimukti
यया भर्ता वशं नीतो रक्षाचूर्णादिभिर्नृप । साधुभ्यो यत्कृतं राजन्यशःस्वर्गकरं भवेत् ॥ ५१ ॥
yayā bhartā vaśaṃ nīto rakṣācūrṇādibhirnṛpa | sādhubhyo yatkṛtaṃ rājanyaśaḥsvargakaraṃ bhavet || 51 ||
Oh rey, aquello con lo que se somete al esposo —polvos protectores y similares—, si se emplea en favor de los santos y virtuosos, oh gobernante, se vuelve causa de buena fama y conduce al cielo.
Narada (teaching a king in didactic discourse)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"bhakti","emotional_journey":"Moves from critique of coercive/occult control to a constructive redirection: the same ‘means’ becomes meritorious when offered to sādhus, yielding fame and heaven."}
FAQs
It teaches that the moral direction of an act matters: practices used for domination become meritorious when redirected toward honoring and benefiting sādhus, yielding punya, good reputation, and heavenly results.
By prioritizing service to the virtuous (sadhu-sevā) over self-centered control, the verse aligns action with humility and reverence—qualities that support Vishnu-bhakti in the Purāṇic ethic, even when the verse speaks in the language of ritual acts.
It indirectly cautions about ritual-technical applications (prayoga) of protective substances and rites: the same external procedure can bear different fruits depending on dharmic intent and proper, non-harmful deployment—an applied principle relevant to Kalpa (ritual practice).