VEDABASE
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Canto & Chapters
Creation of the Fourth Order (31 Chapters)
Chapter 130v
Chapter 1
Chapter 230v
Chapter 2
Chapter 330v
Chapter 3
Chapter 430v
Chapter 4
Chapter 530v
Chapter 5
Chapter 630v
Chapter 6
Chapter 730v
Chapter 7
Chapter 830v
Chapter 8
Chapter 930v
Chapter 9
Chapter 1030v
Chapter 10
Chapter 1130v
Chapter 11
Chapter 1230v
Chapter 12
Chapter 1330v
Chapter 13
Chapter 1430v
Chapter 14
Chapter 1530v
Chapter 15
Chapter 1630v
Chapter 16
Chapter 1730v
Chapter 17
Chapter 1830v
Chapter 18
Chapter 1930v
Chapter 19
Chapter 2030v
Chapter 20
Chapter 2130v
Chapter 21
Chapter 2230v
Chapter 22
Chapter 2330v
Chapter 23
Chapter 2430v
Chapter 24
Chapter 2530v
Chapter 25
Chapter 2630v
Chapter 26
Chapter 2730v
Chapter 27
Chapter 2830v
Chapter 28
Chapter 2930v
Chapter 29
Chapter 3030v
Chapter 30
Chapter 3130v
Chapter 31
SB 4.13 Verses
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Canto 4, Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Verse 22 (SB 4.13.22)
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SB 4.13.22 • मूल श्लोक

किं वांहो वेन उद्दिश्य ब्रह्मदण्डमयूयुजन् । दण्डव्रतधरे राज्ञि मुनयो धर्मकोविदा: ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

kiṁ vāṁho vena uddiśya brahma-daṇḍam ayūyujan daṇḍa-vrata-dhare rājñi munayo dharma-kovidāḥ

Synonyms (Word-for-Word)

kim — why; vā — also; aṁhaḥ — sinful activities; vene — unto Vena; uddiśya — seeing; brahma-daṇḍam — the curse of a brāhmaṇa; ayūyujan — they desired to award; daṇḍa-vrata-dhare — who carries the rod of punishment; rājñi — unto the king; munayaḥ — the great sages; dharma-kovidāḥ — completely conversant with religious principles.

Translation

“Vidura also inquired: How is it that the great sages, who were completely conversant with religious principles, desired to curse King Vena, who himself carried the rod of punishment, and thus awarded him the greatest punishment [brahma-śāpa]?”

Bhaktivedanta Purport

By Śrīla Prabhupāda
It is understood that the king is able to give punishment to everyone, but in this case it appears that the great sages punished him. The king must have done something very serious; otherwise how could the great sages, who were supposed to be the greatest and most tolerant, still punish him in spite of their elevated religious consciousness? It appears also that the king was not independent of the brahminical culture. Above the king was the control of the brāhmaṇas, and if needed the brāhmaṇas would dethrone the king or kill him, not with any weapon, but with the mantra of a brahma-śāpa. The brāhmaṇas were so powerful that simply by their cursing one would immediately die.