Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 14
The Kuru Line, Bhīṣma and Vyāsa; Pāṇḍavas, Parīkṣit, and Future Kings
Chandravaṁśa Continuation
शान्तिमाप्नोति चैवाग्र्यां कर्मणा तेन शान्तनु: । समा द्वादश तद्राज्ये न ववर्ष यदा विभु: ॥ १४ ॥ शान्तनुर्ब्राह्मणैरुक्त: परिवेत्तायमग्रभुक् । राज्यं देह्यग्रजायाशु पुरराष्ट्रविवृद्धये ॥ १५ ॥
śāntim āpnoti caivāgryāṁ karmaṇā tena śāntanuḥ samā dvādaśa tad-rājye na vavarṣa yadā vibhuḥ
Своими деяниями он даровал подданным высшую умиротворённость, потому и звался Шантану. Однажды в его царстве двенадцать лет не было дождей. Тогда брахманы сказали ему: «Ты виновен, ибо пользуешься тем, что принадлежит старшему брату; ради процветания города и страны немедля верни царство старшему».
One cannot enjoy sovereignty or perform an agnihotra-yajña in the presence of one’s elder brother, or else one becomes a usurper, known as parivettā.
FAQs
This verse states that even under a righteous king like Śāntanu, rain may be withheld by the Supreme Lord, showing that nature ultimately follows divine will, not merely human merit.
The verse attributes the withholding of rain to Vibhu, the Almighty Lord, indicating a providential arrangement within the narrative of the Puru dynasty.
Do your duty sincerely and seek inner peace, while accepting that outcomes (like external conditions) are not fully controllable and ultimately rest with higher laws beyond human planning.