Shloka 10
अध्याय १९० — वामदेव-वाम्य-वृत्तान्तः
The Vāmadeva Horses Episode and the Ethics of Promise
यजन्ते मां तथा वैश्या: स्वर्गलोकजिगीषया । चतुःसमुद्रपर्यन्तां मेरुमन्दर भूषणाम्
yajante māṃ tathā vaiśyāḥ svargalokajigīṣayā | catuḥsamudraparyantāṃ merumandara-bhūṣaṇām ||
The Deity said: “So too, the Vaiśyas worship Me, driven by the desire to win the heavenly world. (They seek) a realm bounded by the four oceans, adorned with Meru and Mandara”—a vision of prosperity and cosmic grandeur that frames devotion as often motivated by the pursuit of reward rather than pure renunciation.
देव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that worship and sacrifice are often performed with specific aims—here, attaining Svarga and an expansive, prosperous dominion. It implicitly contrasts desire-driven religiosity (seeking rewards) with higher motives such as duty performed without attachment.
A divine speaker is describing how different groups approach worship. In this line, the Vaiśyas are said to worship with the ambition of gaining heaven and a vast, ocean-bounded realm ornamented by the great cosmic mountains Meru and Mandara.