Shloka 29
Mahārāja Parīkṣit Cursed by a Brāhmaṇa Boy (Śṛṅgi) and the Moral Crisis of Kali-yuga
अभूतपूर्व: सहसा क्षुत्तृड्भ्यामर्दितात्मन: । ब्राह्मणं प्रत्यभूद् ब्रह्मन् मत्सरो मन्युरेव च ॥ २९ ॥
abhūta-pūrvaḥ sahasā kṣut-tṛḍbhyām arditātmanaḥ brāhmaṇaṁ praty abhūd brahman matsaro manyur eva ca
ด้วยความหิวและกระหายอย่างรุนแรง พระราชาจึงมีความริษยาและความโกรธต่อพราหมณ์นั้น ซึ่งไม่เคยมีมาก่อน
For a king like Mahārāja Parīkṣit to become angry and envious, especially at a sage and brāhmaṇa, was undoubtedly unprecedented. The King knew well that brāhmaṇas, sages, children, women and old men are always beyond the jurisdiction of punishment. Similarly, the king, even though he commits a great mistake, is never to be considered a wrongdoer. But in this case, Mahārāja Parīkṣit became angry and envious at the sage due to his thirst and hunger, by the will of the Lord. The King was right to punish his subject for coldly receiving him or neglecting him, but because the culprit was a sage and a brāhmaṇa, it was unprecedented. As the Lord is never envious of anyone, so also the Lord’s devotee is never envious of anyone. The only justification for Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s behavior is that it was ordained by the Lord.
FAQs
This verse states that when Parīkṣit was suddenly afflicted by hunger and thirst, unprecedented envy and anger arose in him—showing how bodily agitation can overpower judgment if one is not steady in self-control.
Because his mind was disturbed by intense hunger and thirst, he misread the sage’s silence and, under that agitation, envy and anger arose toward the brāhmaṇa.
It teaches to pause when the body is stressed (hunger, fatigue, thirst), and avoid reacting impulsively—especially toward saints, elders, or teachers—since temporary agitation can lead to lasting regret.