Shloka 32
प्रियव्रतवंशवर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीपविभागः, जम्बूद्वीप-वर्षविभागः, भरत-नामकरणम्
सुमतिर् भरतस्याभूत् पुत्रः परमधार्मिकः कृत्वा सम्यग् ददौ तस्मै राज्यम् इष्टमखः पिता
sumatir bharatasyābhūt putraḥ paramadhārmikaḥ kṛtvā samyag dadau tasmai rājyam iṣṭamakhaḥ pitā
Bharata mempunyai seorang putera bernama Sumati, seorang putera yang amat berpegang pada dharma. Ayahnya, yang tekun pada yajña yang dicintainya, setelah mengatur segala urusan dengan sempurna, mengurniakan kerajaan kepadanya.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Continuation of Bharata’s lineage and succession
Teaching: Genealogical
Quality: authoritative
Concept: Righteous governance includes orderly succession—entrusting prosperity (śrī) to a worthy heir after completing one’s duties.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Plan transitions responsibly—family, work, leadership—so that dharma continues without disruption; cultivate heirs/teams through values, not favoritism.
Vishishtadvaita: Householder/kingly duties are honored as service within God’s order; renunciation is undertaken after dharma is duly fulfilled.
Dharma Exemplar: rājadharma (orderly kingship)
Key Kings: Bharata, Sumati
Lakshmi Presence: Sri
FAQs
This verse establishes Sumati as Bharata’s son and emphasizes his exemplary dharma, marking him as a legitimate and worthy link in the dynastic succession.
Parāśara presents kingship as something entrusted through proper procedure—after setting affairs in order—highlighting rajadharma rather than mere inheritance.
By portraying righteous succession and sacrificial piety as the basis of sovereignty, the text implies that stable rule aligns with the cosmic order upheld by Vishnu, the supreme regulator of dharma and time.