साम्ब-हरणम्, बलदेवस्य रोषः, हस्तिनापुर-आकर्षणम्
उग्रसेनो ऽपि यद्य् आज्ञां कौरवाणां प्रदास्यति तद् अलं पाण्डुरैश् छत्रैर् नृपयोग्यैर् विडम्बितैः
ugraseno 'pi yady ājñāṃ kauravāṇāṃ pradāsyati tad alaṃ pāṇḍuraiś chatrair nṛpayogyair viḍambitaiḥ
បើសូម្បីតែឧគ្រសេនក៏គោរពបញ្ជារបស់កោរវ នោះឆ័ត្ររាជសម្បត្តិពណ៌សស្លេក—ដែលសមស្របសម្រាប់ព្រះមហាក្សត្រពិត—ក៏គ្រាន់តែជាការចំអក; ព្រោះការកាន់សញ្ញារាជ្យនៅក្រោមការគោរពអ្នកដទៃ មិនសមរម្យទេ។
Narrative voice within the Krishna-cycle (as relayed in the Vishnu Purana’s Ansha 5 narration; traditionally framed through Parasara’s discourse to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Teaching: Historical
Quality: revealing
Concept: Symbols of authority (like royal umbrellas) become ‘mockery’ when power is exercised without autonomy and dharmic legitimacy.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Do not cling to titles or status if your decisions are controlled by unjust pressures; align role and authority with integrity.
Vishishtadvaita: Śrī (royal fortune) is meaningful when aligned with the Lord’s dharmic order; external splendor without dharma is empty.
Vishnu Form: Krishna
Lakshmi Presence: Sri
The chatra functions as a public emblem of legitimate kingship; the verse argues that if a ruler obeys another’s command, such insignia becomes hollow—mere spectacle rather than true sovereignty.
Authority is treated as substantive, not ceremonial: submitting to an external power undermines one’s claim to independent rule, so outward symbols of royalty are criticized when they no longer match political reality.
Even in a politically charged scene, the Purana’s underlying worldview is that rightful order (dharma) and legitimate sovereignty ultimately align with the supreme governance of Vishnu; false kingship is exposed when it contradicts that order.