Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu
तं वीर्यहीनं निभृतैर्भृत्यैस्त्यक्तं सुदुःखितम् ।
अनन्तरो विमर्दाख्यो राज्याच्च्यावितवांस्तदा ॥
taṃ vīryahīnaṃ nibhṛtair bhṛtyais tyaktaṃ suduḥkhitam / anantaro vimardākhyo rājyāc cyāvitavāṃs tadā
Apabila dia telah menjadi tidak bertenaga—ditinggalkan oleh para pelayan yang tunduk dan gentar serta tenggelam dalam dukacita besar—maka Anantara, yang disebut Vimarda, mengusirnya keluar dari kerajaan.
Power dependent on external support is fragile. The king’s fall illustrates that when inner strength and confidence erode, social and political structures quickly realign—urging reliance on dharma rather than mere authority.
Vaṃśānucarita: a dynastic/royal episode used for moral instruction about kāla and rājya-anityatā (the non-permanence of rule).
The ‘expulsion from the kingdom’ mirrors the soul’s forced detachment from its identifications. The usurper figure can symbolize tamas/inner disorder that takes over when vīrya (inner power) declines.