Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 - Chapter 14

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1 Sanskrit: मैत्रेय उवाचभृग्वादयस्ते मुनयो लोकानां क्षेमदर्शिन: ।गोप्तर्यसति वै नृणां पश्यन्त: पशुसाम्यताम् ॥ १ ॥ ITRANS: maitreya uvācabhṛgv-ādayas te munayolokānāṁ kṣema-darśinaḥgoptary asati vai nṝṇāṁpaśyantaḥ paśu-sāmyatām Translation: The great sage Maitreya continued: O great hero Vidura, the great sages, headed by Bhṛgu, were always thinking of the welfare of the people in general. When they saw that in the absence of King Aṅga there was no one to protect the interests of the people, they understood that without a ruler the people would become independent and nonregulated....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 2 Sanskrit: वीरमातरमाहूय सुनीथां ब्रह्मवादिन: ।प्रकृत्यसम्मतं वेनमभ्यषिञ्चन् पतिं भुव: ॥ २ ॥ ITRANS: vīra-mātaram āhūyasunīthāṁ brahma-vādinaḥprakṛty-asammataṁ venamabhyaṣiñcan patiṁ bhuvaḥ Translation: The great sages then called for the Queen Mother, Sunīthā, and with her permission they installed Vena on the throne as master of the world. All the ministers, however, disagreed with this. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 3 Sanskrit: श्रुत्वा नृपासनगतं वेनमत्युग्रशासनम् ।निलिल्युर्दस्यव: सद्य: सर्पत्रस्ता इवाखव: ॥ ३ ॥ ITRANS: śrutvā nṛpāsana-gataṁvenam atyugra-śāsanamnililyur dasyavaḥ sadyaḥsarpa-trastā ivākhavaḥ Translation: It was already known that Vena was very severe and cruel; therefore, as soon as all the thieves and rogues in the state heard of his ascendance to the royal throne, they became very much afraid of him. Indeed, they hid themselves here and there as rats hide themselves from snakes....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 4 Sanskrit: स आरूढनृपस्थान उन्नद्धोऽष्टविभूतिभि: ।अवमेने महाभागान् स्तब्ध: सम्भावित: स्वत: ॥ ४ ॥ ITRANS: sa ārūḍha-nṛpa-sthānaunnaddho ’ṣṭa-vibhūtibhiḥavamene mahā-bhāgānstabdhaḥ sambhāvitaḥ svataḥ Translation: When the King ascended to the throne, he became all-powerful with eight kinds of opulences. Consequently he became too proud. By virtue of his false prestige, he considered himself to be greater than anyone. Thus he began to insult great personalities....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 5 Sanskrit: एवं मदान्ध उत्सिक्तो निरङ्कुश इव द्विप: ।पर्यटन् रथमास्थाय कम्पयन्निव रोदसी ॥ ५ ॥ ITRANS: evaṁ madāndha utsiktoniraṅkuśa iva dvipaḥparyaṭan ratham āsthāyakampayann iva rodasī Translation: When he became overly blind due to his opulences, King Vena mounted a chariot and, like an uncontrolled elephant, began to travel through the kingdom, causing the sky and earth to tremble wherever he went. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 6 Sanskrit: न यष्टव्यं न दातव्यं न होतव्यं द्विजा: क्‍वचित् ।इति न्यवारयद्धर्मं भेरीघोषेण सर्वश: ॥ ६ ॥ ITRANS: na yaṣṭavyaṁ na dātavyaṁna hotavyaṁ dvijāḥ kvacititi nyavārayad dharmaṁbherī-ghoṣeṇa sarvaśaḥ Translation: All the twice-born [brāhmaṇas] were forbidden henceforward to perform any sacrifice, and they were also forbidden to give charity or offer clarified butter. Thus King Vena sounded kettledrums throughout the countryside. In other words, he stopped all kinds of religious rituals....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 7 Sanskrit: वेनस्यावेक्ष्य मुनयो दुर्वृत्तस्य विचेष्टितम् ।विमृश्य लोकव्यसनं कृपयोचु: स्म सत्रिण: ॥ ७ ॥ ITRANS: venasyāvekṣya munayodurvṛttasya viceṣṭitamvimṛśya loka-vyasanaṁkṛpayocuḥ sma satriṇaḥ Translation: Therefore all the great sages assembled together and, after observing cruel Vena’s atrocities, concluded that a great danger and catastrophe was approaching the people of the world. Thus out of compassion they began to talk amongst themselves, for they themselves were the performers of the sacrifices....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 8 Sanskrit: अहो उभयत: प्राप्तं लोकस्य व्यसनं महत् ।दारुण्युभयतो दीप्ते इव तस्करपालयो: ॥ ८ ॥ ITRANS: aho ubhayataḥ prāptaṁlokasya vyasanaṁ mahatdāruṇy ubhayato dīpteiva taskara-pālayoḥ Translation: When the great sages consulted one another, they saw that the people were in a dangerous position from both directions. When a fire blazes on both ends of a log, the ants in the middle are in a very dangerous situation....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 9 Sanskrit: अराजकभयादेष कृतो राजातदर्हण: ।ततोऽप्यासीद्भयं त्वद्य कथं स्यात्स्वस्ति देहिनाम् ॥ ९ ॥ ITRANS: arājaka-bhayād eṣakṛto rājātad-arhaṇaḥtato ’py āsīd bhayaṁ tv adyakathaṁ syāt svasti dehinām Translation: Thinking to save the state from irregularity, the sages began to consider that it was due to a political crisis that they made Vena king although he was not qualified. But alas, now the people were being disturbed by the king himself....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 10 Sanskrit: अहेरिव पय:पोष: पोषकस्याप्यनर्थभृत् ।वेन: प्रकृत्यैव खल: सुनीथागर्भसम्भव: ॥ १० ॥ ITRANS: aher iva payaḥ-poṣaḥpoṣakasyāpy anartha-bhṛtvenaḥ prakṛtyaiva khalaḥsunīthā-garbha-sambhavaḥ Translation: The sages began to think within themselves: Because he was born from the womb of Sunīthā, King Vena is by nature very mischievous. Supporting this mischievous king is exactly like maintaining a snake with milk. Now he has become a source of all difficulties....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 11 Sanskrit: निरूपित: प्रजापाल: स जिघांसति वै प्रजा: ।तथापि सान्‍त्वयेमामुं नास्मांस्तत्पातकं स्पृशेत् ॥ ११ ॥ ITRANS: nirūpitaḥ prajā-pālaḥsa jighāṁsati vai prajāḥtathāpi sāntvayemāmuṁnāsmāṁs tat-pātakaṁ spṛśet Translation: We appointed this Vena king of the state in order to give protection to the citizens, but now he has become the enemy of the citizens. Despite all these discrepancies, we should at once try to pacify him....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 12 Sanskrit: तद्विद्वद्‌भिरसद्‍वृत्तो वेनोऽस्माभि: कृतो नृप: ।सान्त्वितो यदि नो वाचं न ग्रहीष्यत्यधर्मकृत् ।लोकधिक्कारसन्दग्धं दहिष्याम: स्वतेजसा ॥ १२ ॥ ITRANS: tad-vidvadbhir asad-vṛttoveno ’smābhiḥ kṛto nṛpaḥsāntvito yadi no vācaṁna grahīṣyaty adharma-kṛtloka-dhikkāra-sandagdhaṁdahiṣyāmaḥ sva-tejasā Translation: The saintly sages continued thinking: Of course, we were completely aware of his mischievous nature, yet we nevertheless enthroned Vena. If we cannot persuade King Vena to accept our advice, he will be condemned by the public, and we will join them....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 13 Sanskrit: एवमध्यवसायैनं मुनयो गूढमन्यव: ।उपव्रज्याब्रुवन् वेनं सान्‍त्वयित्वा च सामभि: ॥ १३ ॥ ITRANS: evam adhyavasāyainaṁmunayo gūḍha-manyavaḥupavrajyābruvan venaṁsāntvayitvā ca sāmabhiḥ Translation: The great sages, having thus decided, approached King Vena. Concealing their real anger, they pacified him with sweet words and then spoke as follows. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 14 Sanskrit: मुनय ऊचु:नृपवर्य निबोधैतद्यत्ते विज्ञापयाम भो: ।आयु:श्रीबलकीर्तीनां तव तात विवर्धनम् ॥ १४ ॥ ITRANS: munaya ūcuḥnṛpa-varya nibodhaitadyat te vijñāpayāma bhoḥāyuḥ-śrī-bala-kīrtīnāṁtava tāta vivardhanam Translation: The great sages said: Dear King, we have come to give you good advice. Kindly hear us with great attention. By doing so, your duration of life and your opulence, strength and reputation will increase. Purport: According to Vedic civilization, in a monarchy the king is advised by saintly persons and sages....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4 - Chapter 1 - Verse 15 Sanskrit: धर्म आचरित: पुंसां वाङ्‍मन:कायबुद्धिभि: ।लोकान् विशोकान् वतरत्यथानन्त्यमसङ्गिनाम् ॥ १५ ॥ ITRANS: dharma ācaritaḥ puṁsāṁvāṅ-manaḥ-kāya-buddhibhiḥlokān viśokān vitaratyathānantyam asaṅginām Translation: Those who live according to religious principles and who follow them by words, mind, body and intelligence are elevated to the heavenly kingdom, which is devoid of all miseries. Being thus rid of the material influence, they achieve unlimited happiness in life....