Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 47
Ikṣvāku Dynasty: Vikukṣi’s Offense, Purañjaya’s Victory, Māndhātā’s Birth, and Saubhari’s Fall and Renunciation
यद्गार्हस्थ्यं तु संवीक्ष्य सप्तद्वीपवतीपति: । विस्मित: स्तम्भमजहात् सार्वभौमश्रियान्वितम् ॥ ४७ ॥
yad-gārhasthyaṁ tu saṁvīkṣya sapta-dvīpavatī-patiḥ vismitaḥ stambham ajahāt sārvabhauma-śriyānvitam
Мандхата, царь всего мира, состоящего из семи островов, был поражён, увидев домашнее великолепие Саубхари Муни. Тогда он оставил ложную гордыню, связанную с положением всемирного императора.
Everyone is proud of his own position, but here was an astounding experience, in which the emperor of the entire world felt himself defeated in all details of material happiness by the opulence of Saubhari Muni.
FAQs
This verse shows that genuine gṛhastha life—when seen in its true, dharmic and spiritually grounded form—can astonish even a world-emperor, indicating that household duty can be deeply elevating when aligned with higher principles.
Because what he witnessed in that gārhasthya was extraordinary—something beyond ordinary material prosperity—so he remained motionless in amazement despite being a sovereign himself.
It suggests making one’s family life sacred through dharma—integrity, self-control, service, and devotion—so that spiritual depth, not mere status, becomes the real measure of greatness.