Text 11
ātiṣṭhata satāṁ mārgaṁ
kopaṁ yacchata dīpitam
pitrā pitāmahenāpi
juṣṭaṁ vaḥ prapitāmahaiḥ
ātiṣṭhata — just follow; satām mārgam — the path of the great saintly personalities; kopam — the anger; yacchata — subdue; dīpitam — which is now awakened; pitrā — by the father; pitāmahena api — and by the grandfather; juṣṭam — executed; vaḥ — your; prapitāmahaiḥ — by the great-grandfathers.
The path of goodness traversed by your father, grandfather and great-grandfathers is that of maintaining the subjects [prajās], including the men, animals and trees. That is the path you should follow. Unnecessary anger is contrary to your duty. Therefore I request you to control your anger.
Here the words pitrā pitāmahenāpi juṣṭaṁ vaḥ prapitāmahaiḥ depict an honest royal family, consisting of the kings, their father, their grandfather and their great-grandfathers. Such a royal family has a prestigious position because it maintains the citizens, or prajās. The word prajā refers to one who has taken birth within the jurisdiction of the government. The exalted royal families were conscious that all living beings, whether human, animal or lower than animal, should be given protection. The modern democratic system cannot be exalted in this way because the leaders elected strive only for power and have no sense of responsibility. In a monarchy, a king with a prestigious position follows the great deeds of his forefathers. Thus Soma, the king of the moon, here reminds the Pracetās about the glories of their father, grandfather and great-grandfathers.