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Chapter 13: Description of the Descendants of Dhruva Mahārāja

Verse 11 of 46
SB 4.13.11

मत्वा तं जडमुन्मत्तं कुलवृद्धाः समन्त्रिणः वत्सरं भूपतिं चक्रुर्यवीयांसं भ्रमेः सुतम्

matvā taṁ jaḍam unmattaṁ kula-vṛddhāḥ samantriṇaḥ vatsaraṁ bhūpatiṁ cakrur yavīyāṁsaṁ bhrameḥ sutam

Synonyms

matvāthinking; tamUtkala; jaḍamwithout intelligence; unmattammad; kula-vṛddhāḥelderly members of the family; sa-mantriṇaḥwith the ministers; vatsaramVatsara; bhū-patimruler of the world; cakruḥthey made; yavīyāṁsamyounger; bhrameḥof Bhrami; sutamson..

Translation

For this reason the ministers and all the elderly members of the family thought Utkala to be without intelligence and, in fact, mad. Thus his younger brother, named Vatsara, who was the son of Bhrami and who was junior to Utkala, was elevated to the royal throne, and he became king of the world.

Purport

It appears that although there was monarchy, it was not at all an autocracy. There were senior family members and ministers who could make changes and elect the proper person to the throne, although the throne could be occupied only by the royal family. In modern days also, wherever there is monarchy, sometimes the ministers and elderly members of the family select one member from the royal family to occupy the throne in preference to another.

Verse 11 of 46
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