Shloka 38
Tapovana-praveśaḥ — The King’s Entry into the Sacred Grove and Vision of the Āśrama
न हामी भूतसत्त्वौधा: पन्नगा: सनगां महीम् | तदा धारयितुं शेकुः संक्रान्तां दानवैर्बलातू,दानवोंने बलपूर्वक जिसपर अधिकार कर लिया था, पर्वतों और वृक्षोंसहित उस पृथ्वीको उस समय कच्छप और दिग्गज आदिकी संगठित शक्तियाँ तथा शेषनाग भी धारण करनेमें समर्थ न हो सके। महीपाल! तब असुरोंके भारसे आतुर तथा भयसे पीड़ित हुई पृथ्वी सम्पूर्ण भूतोंक पितामह भगवान् ब्रह्माजीकी शरणमें उपस्थित हुई। ब्रह्मलोकमें जाकर पृथ्वीने उन लोकस्रष्टा अविनाशी देव भगवान् ब्रह्माजीका दर्शन किया, जिन्हें महाभाग देवता, द्विज और महर्षि घेरे हुए थे
na hīmī bhūtasattvauḍhāḥ pannagāḥ sanagā mahīm | tadā dhārayituṃ śekuḥ saṅkrāntāṃ dānavair balāt ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Even the mighty hosts of beings—serpents and other powerful supports of the world—together with the mountains, were then unable to bear the Earth, for she had been forcibly overrun by the Dānavas. Overwhelmed by the weight of the asuras and shaken by fear, the Earth sought refuge in Brahmā, the grandsire and father of all beings, approaching him in Brahmaloka amid the assembly of gods, sages, and twice-born seers. The passage underscores that when power is seized through force and oppression, the natural order itself becomes unstable, and rightful recourse is sought through higher cosmic authority rather than retaliatory violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When dominion is seized through force (balāt) and adharma, even the world’s natural supports fail; the proper response is to seek restoration of order through legitimate cosmic authority (Brahmā), emphasizing governance by dharma rather than coercion.
The Dānavas have forcibly taken control of the Earth, making her unbearably heavy; even powerful beings like the nāgas and the mountain-bearing supports cannot sustain her. Distressed, the Earth goes to Brahmaloka and appeals to Brahmā for protection and resolution.