Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 31
The Six Dvīpas Beyond Jambūdvīpa and the Cosmic Boundary of Lokāloka
तद्द्वीपस्याप्यधिपति: प्रैयव्रतो वीतिहोत्रो नामैतस्यात्मजौ रमणकधातकिनामानौ वर्षपती नियुज्य स स्वयं पूर्वजवद्भगवत्कर्मशील एवास्ते ॥ ३१ ॥
tad-dvīpasyāpy adhipatiḥ praiyavrato vītihotro nāmaitasyātmajau ramaṇaka-dhātaki-nāmānau varṣa-patī niyujya sa svayaṁ pūrvajavad-bhagavat-karma-śīla evāste.
Le souverain de cette île était Vītihotra, fils de Mahārāja Priyavrata. Il eut deux fils, Ramaṇaka et Dhātaki. Il leur confia les deux côtés de l’île comme maîtres de leurs régions, puis, à l’exemple de son aîné Medhātithi, il demeura lui-même voué aux œuvres de service pour la Suprême Personne de Dieu.
FAQs
This verse shows an ideal: the king delegates administration to qualified heirs and personally remains dedicated to bhagavat-karma—duties and service offered to the Supreme Lord—following the example of saintly ancestors.
Śukadeva explains that Vītihotra divided responsibility by assigning his two sons as regional rulers, ensuring orderly governance while he continued a life centered on devotion and sacred duty.
By performing one’s responsibilities—family, work, leadership—with integrity and offering the results to God, while keeping steady spiritual practice, just as Vītihotra remained engaged in service to the Lord even after delegating duties.