Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.22.16-17
Manvantara· The Manus and right dutyRuling Requires Fidelity to Vedic Principles
“When the brāhmaṇas said this, Mahārāja Śāntanu went to the forest and requested his elder brother Devāpi to take charge of the kingdom, for it is the duty of a king to maintain his subjects. Previously, however, Śāntanu’s minister Aśvavāra had instigated some brāhmaṇas to induce Devāpi to transgress the injunctions of the Vedas and thus make himself unfit for the post of ruler. The brāhmaṇas deviated Devāpi from the path of the Vedic principles, and therefore when asked by Śāntanu he did not agree to accept the post of ruler. On the contrary, he blasphemed the Vedic principles and therefore became fallen. Under the circumstances, Śāntanu again became the king, and Indra, being pleased, showered rains. Devāpi later took to the path of mystic yoga to control his mind and senses and went to the village named Kalāpagrāma, where he is still living.”
What the purport teaches
- Śāntanu asked Devāpi to take charge of the kingdom, for a king’s duty is to maintain his subjects.
- Aśvavāra had arranged for brāhmaṇas to turn Devāpi away from Vedic principles. Devāpi refused the kingdom and blasphemed those principles, becoming fallen.
- Śāntanu again became king, and the pleased Indra sent rain. Devāpi later practiced mystic yoga to control his mind and senses and went to Kalāpagrāma, where he is still living.
Try this today
Identify one influence on your choices and consider whether it supports respect for Vedic principles.
Ask yourself
Do the influences I accept encourage respect for Vedic principles or lead me away from them?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.