Shloka 17
Parīkṣit’s Inquiry into Vṛtrāsura’s Bhakti and the Beginning of Citraketu’s Trial
अङ्गिरा उवाच अपि तेऽनामयं स्वस्ति प्रकृतीनां तथात्मन: । यथा प्रकृतिभिर्गुप्त: पुमान् राजा च सप्तभि: ॥ १७ ॥
aṅgirā uvāca api te ’nāmayaṁ svasti prakṛtīnāṁ tathātmanaḥ yathā prakṛtibhir guptaḥ pumān rājā ca saptabhiḥ
Le sage Aṅgirā dit : « Ô roi, ton corps et ton esprit, ainsi que tes auxiliaires et les attributs de ta royauté, se portent-ils bien ? Quand les sept principes de la prakṛti—mahat, l’ego et les cinq objets des sens—sont en ordre, l’âme incarnée est heureuse ; de même, un roi est protégé par sept appuis : son guru, ses ministres, son royaume, sa forteresse, son trésor, son pouvoir de châtiment et ses amis. »
As it is quoted by Śrīdhara Svāmī in his Bhāgavatam commentary:
FAQs
This verse shows Vedic well-being as multi-layered—freedom from disease plus auspiciousness for one’s bodily constituents and also the inner self (mind/ātman), not merely physical health.
Aṅgirā approaches Citraketu during his distress and begins with a traditional, dharmic inquiry into his welfare—probing both outer health and inner condition—before guiding him spiritually.
Assess life in a balanced way: care for the body, stabilize the mind, and nurture the spiritual self—because real protection and stability come from harmony across all three.