Texts 14-15
śāntim āpnoti caivāgryāṁ
karmaṇā tena śāntanuḥ
samā dvādaśa tad-rājye
na vavarṣa yadā vibhuḥ
śāntanur brāhmaṇair uktaḥ
parivettāyam agrabhuk
rājyaṁ dehy agrajāyāśu
pura-rāṣṭra-vivṛddhaye
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-rājye — in his kingdom; na — not; vavarṣa — sent rain; yadā — when; vibhuḥ — the controller of the rain, namely the King of heaven, Indra; śāntanuḥ — Śāntanu; 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; agrajāya — to your elder brother; āśu — immediately; pura-rāṣṭra — of your home and the kingdom; vivṛddhaye — for elevation.
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.”
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.