Shloka 13
वेन-पृथु-प्रादुर्भावः, राजधर्मः, पृथिवीदोहनम्
Vena–Pṛthu Episode and the Milking of Earth
अभिषिक्तो यदा राज्ये स वेनः परमर्षिभिः घोषयाम् आस स तदा पृथिव्यां पृथिवीपतिः
abhiṣikto yadā rājye sa venaḥ paramarṣibhiḥ ghoṣayām āsa sa tadā pṛthivyāṃ pṛthivīpatiḥ
പരമർഷിമാർ വേനനെ രാജസ്ഥാനത്ത് അഭിഷേകം ചെയ്തപ്പോൾ, ഭൂമിപതിയായ അവൻ ഭൂമിയാകെ പ്രഖ്യാപനം നടത്തിച്ചു.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Narration of Vena’s accession and the immediate exercise of royal authority.
Teaching: Historical
Quality: matter-of-fact; setting up critique of adharmic kingship
Concept: Royal consecration without submission to dharma and śāstra becomes a vehicle for tyranny; authority must be yoked to yajña and protection of social order.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: In leadership, pair power with accountability, ethical counsel, and service to the common good rather than self-will.
Vishishtadvaita: Kingship is legitimate when aligned with the Lord’s order (niyati) as preserved by ṛṣis and śāstra; otherwise it opposes the divine governance within society.
Key Kings: Vena
FAQs
This verse shows kingship as a sacral office validated by great sages—political authority is legitimate only when aligned with dharma and ritually sanctioned.
Parāśara depicts the ṛṣis as the moral and ritual guardians of sovereignty: they enthrone the king, yet their authority also implies the power to correct or censure him if he violates dharma.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the Purana’s framework treats righteous rule as participation in Vishnu’s cosmic order; a king’s proclamations are meant to uphold dharma that ultimately rests on the Supreme Lord.