Shloka 10
Hari in the Primeval Waters: Prakṛti as Veil, the ‘Sleep’ Metaphor, and Brahmā’s Lotus-Channel Inquiry
अत एव त्वजे ज्येष्ठे इति लोके प्रकीर्तिते / सुखदुः खप्रदा चैव अपरा दुः खदैव तु
ata eva tvaje jyeṣṭhe iti loke prakīrtite / sukhaduḥ khapradā caiva aparā duḥ khadaiva tu
Por isso, no mundo se diz: “abandona o mais velho”. Pois uma (ligação) concede tanto alegria quanto dor, enquanto outra traz somente dor, de fato.
Lord Vishnu
Concept: A discriminative renunciation: one association/tendency yields both pleasure and pain (mixed fruit), while another yields only pain; hence the counsel to abandon the 'eldest'—read as the dominant/binding attachment or the primary saṃsāric tendency.
Vedantic Theme: Vairāgya born of seeing duḥkha in saṃsāra; choosing the higher good over mixed, unstable pleasures.
Application: Identify the strongest habitual attachment (the 'eldest' pattern) that repeatedly produces suffering; consciously reduce it through boundaries, substitution with wholesome habits, and spiritual practice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: teachings on duḥkha-miśra sukha of saṃsāra and the need for vairāgya; proverbial instruction style in didactic chapters
FAQs
It is cited as a worldly maxim warning that certain attachments—especially within close relations—can become a dominant cause of suffering, so one should practice discernment and detachment.
By highlighting that pleasure and pain arise from karmic entanglements and attachments, it supports the broader Preta Kanda theme that the jīva’s post-death journey is affected by desires, bonds, and their karmic residues.
Maintain respect for elders and family duties, but reduce clinging and conflict: act dharmically, set boundaries, and cultivate vairāgya so relationships do not become a source of continual distress.