Shloka 40
ध्रुवस्य निर्वेदः — मन्त्रोपदेशः (ॐ नमो वासुदेवाय) तथा विष्ण्वाराधनविधिः
नाहम् अर्थम् अभीप्सामि न राज्यं द्विजसत्तमाः तत् स्थानम् एकम् इच्छामि भुक्तं नान्येन यत् पुरा
nāham artham abhīpsāmi na rājyaṃ dvijasattamāḥ tat sthānam ekam icchāmi bhuktaṃ nānyena yat purā
இருமுறைப் பிறந்த முனிவர்களில் சிறந்தவர்களே! எனக்கு செல்வமும் வேண்டாம், அரசாட்சியும் வேண்டாம்; முன்னொரு காலத்தில் வேறு யாராலும் அனுபவிக்கப்படாத அந்த ஒரே இடத்தையே நான் வேண்டுகிறேன்।
A king or princely petitioner addressing brāhmaṇa sages (dvijas) in a renunciatory tone; narrated within Parāśara’s discourse to Maitreya
FAQs
The verse frames ideal rulership as dharma-led restraint: the speaker rejects artha and rājya, seeking instead a rightful, non-contested position—an ethic that curbs greed and legitimizes authority through self-control.
Through exemplars in the royal lineages, Parāśara presents sovereignty as secondary to dharma: kings prosper when they govern without possessiveness and defer to brāhmaṇical counsel, treating power as a trust rather than a prize.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s political ethics rest on Vishnu as the supreme upholder of cosmic order—true authority aligns with that order, and renunciation becomes a sign of harmony with the higher reality.