Shloka 74
स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्
तद् अलं पारिजातेन परस्वेन हृतेन नः रूपेण गर्विता सा तु भर्त्रा स्त्री का न गर्विता
tad alaṃ pārijātena parasvena hṛtena naḥ rūpeṇa garvitā sā tu bhartrā strī kā na garvitā
Cukup tentang pohon Pārijāta itu—yang dirampas dari milik orang lain dan dibawa untuk kita; ia menjadi congkak karena rupa, namun perempuan mana yang bersandar pada suami tidak menjadi bangga?
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; verse voiced as a character’s remark within the Krishna narrative, commonly read as Satyabhāmā’s jealous retort in the Pārijāta episode)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Narration of the Pārijāta episode and its ethical-theological meaning.
Teaching: Historical
Quality: revealing
Avatara: Krishna
Purpose: Krishna’s taking of the Pārijāta becomes the occasion to expose and correct deva-queenly pride and Indra’s possessiveness, reaffirming divine sovereignty over heavenly treasures.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Rightful alignment of desire and possession under dharma; curbing vanity and rivalry
Concept: Possession gained by taking from another and pride in beauty/status both feed delusion and relational harm.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Treat ‘wins’ that come from another’s loss with suspicion; practice gratitude and restraint rather than boasting over gifts, beauty, or support.
Vishishtadvaita: Worldly attributes (beauty, prosperity) are meaningful only as the Lord’s śeṣa (dependent reality), not as grounds for ego.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
FAQs
In this context it functions as a symbol of celestial wealth and prestige; the verse undercuts mere possession of such a treasure by calling it “taken from another,” shifting focus from objects to inner disposition (pride and jealousy) within Krishna’s narrative.
By embedding a sharp, human remark in the Krishna episode, Parāśara shows how beauty and marital favor can become causes of garva, illustrating a moral lesson through lived emotion rather than abstract doctrine.
Krishna’s presence frames heavenly possessions and personal rivalries within divine lordship: even the highest celestial gifts are subordinate to Vishnu’s will, and the narrative uses them to teach about attachment and the ordering of desire under dharma.