Canto 9: LiberationChapter 22: The Descendants of Ajamīḍha

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.22.14-15

śāntim āpnoti caivāgryāḿ

karmaṇā tena śāntanuḥ

samā dvādaśa tad-rājye

na vavarṣa yadā vibhuḥ

śāntanur brāhmaṇair uktaḥ

parivettāyam agrabhuk

rājyaḿ dehy agrajāyāśu

pura-rāṣṭra-vivṛddhaye

SYNONYMS

śāntim — youthfulness for sense gratification; āpnoti — one gets; ca — also; eva — indeed; agryām — principally; karmaṇā — by the touch of his hand; tena — because of this; śāntanuḥ — known as Śāntanu; samāḥ — years; dvādaśa — twelve; tat-rājyein his kingdom; na — not; vavarṣa — sent rain; yadā — when; vibhuḥ — the controller of the rain, namely the King of heaven, Indra; śāntanuḥŚāntanu; brāhmaṇaiḥ — by the learned brāhmaṇas; uktaḥ — when advised; parivettā — faulty because of being a usurper; ayam — this; agra-bhuk — enjoying in spite of your elder brother's being present; rājyam — the kingdom; dehi — give; agrajāyato your elder brother; āśu — immediately; pura-rāṣṭra — of your home and the kingdom; vivṛddhaye — for elevation.

TRANSLATION

Because the King was able to make everyone happy for sense gratification, primarily by the touch of his hand, his name was Śāntanu. Once, when there was no rainfall in the kingdom for twelve years and the King consulted his learned brahminical advisors, they said, "You are faulty for enjoying the property of your elder brother. For the elevation of your kingdom and home, you should return the kingdom to him."

PURPORT

One cannot enjoy sovereignty or perform an agnihotra-yajña in the presence of one's elder brother, or else one becomes a usurper, known as parivettā.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness