—json {

  "name":"SB 4.13.22",
  "h1":"SB 4.13.22",
  "label":"Text 22",
  "title":"Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.13.22",
  "description":"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]?"

} —

SB 4.13.22

किं वांहो वेन उद्दिश्य ब्रह्मदण्डमयूयुजन् ।
दण्डव्रतधरे राज्ञि मुनयो धर्मकोविदाः ॥२२॥

Text

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

Synonyms

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]?

Purport

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.