Shloka 40
प्रह्लादचरितम् (हिरण्यकशिपोः स्वर्गापहरणं, प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुभक्तिः, उपदेशः)
दंष्ट्रा विशीर्णा मणयः स्फुटन्ति फणेषु तापो हृदयेषु कम्पः नास्य त्वचः स्वल्पम् अपीह भिन्नं प्रशाधि दैत्येश्वर कर्म चान्यत्
daṃṣṭrā viśīrṇā maṇayaḥ sphuṭanti phaṇeṣu tāpo hṛdayeṣu kampaḥ nāsya tvacaḥ svalpam apīha bhinnaṃ praśādhi daityeśvara karma cānyat
दंष्ट्रा विशीर्णा मणयः स्फुटन्ति फणेषु तापो हृदयेषु कम्पः नास्य त्वचः स्वल्पम् अपीह भिन्नं प्रशाधि दैत्येश्वर कर्म चान्यत्
Narrative voice within Parasara’s account (a warning addressed to the Daitya-lord during a violent encounter, likely involving a serpent/serpent-king figure).
FAQs
It dramatizes the futility of violent effort against a protected or inviolable being—pain and damage appear on the attacker’s side, while the target remains essentially unharmed, underscoring dharma’s superiority over brute force.
Within Parasara’s instruction to Maitreya, admonitions like this function as moral pivots—turning a scene of conflict into a teaching on kingship, self-control, and alignment with cosmic order rather than ego-driven conquest.
The verse reflects a core Purāṇic theme: sovereignty ultimately belongs to the Supreme Reality (Vishnu), whose order cannot be overridden; apparent invulnerability and the call to desist imply a higher protection and governance beyond demonic power.