Shloka 2
Kardama Muni’s Penance, Viṣṇu’s Darśana, and the Arrangement of Devahūti’s Marriage
प्रियव्रतोत्तानपादौ सुतौ स्वायम्भुवस्य वै । यथाधर्मं जुगुपतु: सप्तद्वीपवतीं महीम् ॥ २ ॥
priyavratottānapādau sutau svāyambhuvasya vai yathā-dharmaṁ jugupatuḥ sapta-dvīpavatīṁ mahīm
Les deux grands fils de Svāyambhuva Manu — Priyavrata et Uttānapāda — gouvernèrent la terre aux sept îles-continents, conformément au dharma.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also a history of the great rulers of different parts of the universe. In this verse the names of Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, sons of Svāyambhuva, are mentioned. They ruled this earth, which is divided into seven islands. These seven islands are still current, as Asia, Europe, Africa, America, Australia and the North and South Poles. There is no chronological history of all the Indian kings in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but the deeds of the most important kings, such as Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, and many others, like Lord Rāmacandra and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, are recorded because the activities of such pious kings are worth hearing; people may benefit by studying their histories.
FAQs
This verse states that Priyavrata and Uttānapāda protected the earth (described as having seven dvīpas) strictly according to dharma, presenting righteous protection as the hallmark of ideal rule.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating the lineage and governance of Svāyambhuva Manu’s sons to establish the righteous dynastic context within Canto 3’s account.
It can be practiced by taking responsibility for one’s dependents and duties—family, work, community—through fairness, restraint, and principled decision-making rather than selfish interest.