Shloka 40
नाहम् अर्थम् अभीप्सामि न राज्यं द्विजसत्तमाः तत् स्थानम् एकम् इच्छामि भुक्तं नान्येन यत् पुरा
nāham artham abhīpsāmi na rājyaṃ dvijasattamāḥ tat sthānam ekam icchāmi bhuktaṃ nānyena yat purā
ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ! എനിക്ക് ധനം വേണ്ട, രാജ്യം വേണമെന്ന ആഗ്രഹവും ഇല്ല; പൂർവകാലത്ത് മറ്റാരും അനുഭവിക്കാത്ത ആ ഒരേയൊരു സ്ഥാനമേ ഞാൻ അപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നത്।
A king or princely petitioner addressing brāhmaṇa sages (dvijas) in a renunciatory tone; narrated within Parāśara’s discourse to Maitreya
Concept: Worldly aims—artha and rājya—are rejected in favor of a unique ‘place/station’ beyond ordinary enjoyment.
Vedantic Theme: Moksha
Application: Audit your goals: reduce status/possession chasing and set one higher spiritual priority that governs daily choices.
Vishishtadvaita: Mokṣa is implied as a distinct, unsurpassed ‘sthāna’ (parama-pada) not comparable to worldly sovereignty.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: shanta
FAQs
The verse frames ideal rulership as dharma-led restraint: the speaker rejects artha and rājya, seeking instead a rightful, non-contested position—an ethic that curbs greed and legitimizes authority through self-control.
Through exemplars in the royal lineages, Parāśara presents sovereignty as secondary to dharma: kings prosper when they govern without possessiveness and defer to brāhmaṇical counsel, treating power as a trust rather than a prize.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s political ethics rest on Vishnu as the supreme upholder of cosmic order—true authority aligns with that order, and renunciation becomes a sign of harmony with the higher reality.