Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 1: “Creation”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Seventeen
SB1.17.31
TEXT 31
rajovaca
na te gudakesa-yaso-dharanam
baddhanjaler vai bhayam asti kincit
na vartitavyam bhavata kathancana
ksetre madiye tvam adharma-bandhuh
SYNONYMS
raja uvaca—the King said; na—not; te—your; gudakesa—Arjuna; yasah-dharanam—of us who inherited the fame; baddha-anjaleh—one with folded hands; vai—certainly; bhayam—fear; asti—there is; kincit—even a slight; na—neither; vartitavyam—can be allowed to live; bhavata—by you; kathancana—by all means; ksetre—in the land; madiye—in my kingdom; tvam—you; adharma-bandhuh—the friend of irreligion.
TRANSLATION
The King thus said: We have inherited the fame of Arjuna; therefore since you have surrendered yourself with folded hands you need not fear for your life. But you cannot remain in my kingdom, for you are the friend of irreligion.
PURPORT
The personality of Kali, who is the friend of all kinds of irreligiosities, may be excused if he surrenders, but in all circumstances he cannot be allowed to live as a citizen in any part of a welfare state. The Pandavas were entrusted representatives of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, who practically brought into being the Battle of Kuruksetra, but not for any personal interest. He wanted an ideal king like Maharaja Yudhisthira and his descendants like Maharaja Pariksit to rule the world, and therefore a responsible king like Maharaja Pariksit could not allow the friend of irreligiosity to flourish in his kingdom at the cost of the good fame of the Pandavas. That is the way of wiping out corruption in the state, and not otherwise. The friends of irreligiosity should be banished from the state, and that will save the state from corruption. SB1.17.32 TEXT 32 tvam vartamanam nara-deva-dehesv anupravrtto ’yam adharma-pugah lobho ’nrtam cauryam anaryam amho jyestha ca maya kalahas ca dambhah SYNONYMS tvam—you; vartamanam—while present; nara-deva—a man-god, or a king; dehesu—in the body; anupravrttah—taking place everywhere; ayam—all these; adharma—irreligious principles; pugah—in the masses; lobhah—greed; anrtam—falsity; cauryam—robbery; anaryam—incivility; amhah—treachery; jyestha—misfortune; ca—and; maya—cheating; kalahah—quarrel; ca—and; dambhah—vanity. TRANSLATION If the personality of Kali, irreligion, is allowed to act as a man-god or an executive head, certainly irreligious principles like greed, falsehood, robbery, incivility, treachery, misfortune, cheating, quarrel and vanity will abound. PURPORT The principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness, as we have already discussed, may be followed by the follower of any faith. There is no need to turn from Hindu to Mohammedan to Christian or some other faith and thus become a renegade and not follow the principles of religion. The Bhagavatam religion urges following the principles of religion. The principles of religion are not the dogmas or regulative principles of a certain faith. Such regulative principles may be different in terms of the time and place concerned. One has to see whether the aims of religion have been achieved. Sticking to the dogmas and formulas without attaining the real principles is not good. A secular state may be impartial to any particular type of faith, but the state cannot be indifferent to the principles of religion as above-mentioned. But in the age of Kali, the executive heads of state will be indifferent to such religious principles, and therefore under their patronage the opponents of religious principles, such as greed, falsehood, cheating and pilfery, will naturally follow, and so there will be no meaning to propaganda crying to stop corruption in the state. SB1.17.33 TEXT 33 na vartitavyam tad adharma-bandho dharmena satyena ca vartitavye brahmavarte yatra yajanti yajnair yajnesvaram yajna-vitana-vijnah SYNONYMS na—not; vartitavyam—deserve to remain; tat—therefore; adharma—irreligiosity; bandho—friend; dharmena—with religion; satyena—with truth; ca—also; vartitavye—being situated in; brahma-avarte—place where sacrifice is performed; yatra—where; yajanti—duly perform; yajnaih—by sacrifices or devotional services; yajna-isvaram—unto the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead; yajna—sacrifice; vitana—spreading; vijnah—experts. TRANSLATION Therefore, O friend of irreligion, you do not deserve to remain in a place where experts perform sacrifices according to truth and religious principles for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT Yajnesvara, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the beneficiary of all kinds of sacrificial ceremonies. Such sacrificial ceremonies are prescribed differently in the scriptures for different ages. In other words, sacrifice means to accept the supremacy of the Lord and thereby perform acts by which the Lord may be satisfied in all respects. The atheists do not believe in the existence of God, and they do not perform any sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Lord. Any place or country where the supremacy of the Lord is accepted and thus sacrifice is performed is called brahmavarta. There are different countries in different parts of the world, and each and every country may have different types of sacrifice to please the Supreme Lord, but the central point in pleasing Him is ascertained in the Bhagavatam, and it is truthfulness. The basic principle of religion is truthfulness, and the ultimate goal of all religions is to satisfy the Lord. In this age of Kali, the greatest common formula of sacrifice is the sankirtana-yajna. That is the opinion of the experts who know how to propagate the process of yajna. Lord Caitanya preached this method of yajna, and it is understood from this verse that the sacrificial method of sankirtana-yajna may be performed anywhere and everywhere in order to drive away the personality of Kali and save human society from falling prey to the influence of the age. SB1.17.34 TEXT 34 yasmin harir bhagavan ijyamana ijyatma-murtir yajatam sam tanoti kaman amoghan sthira-jangamanam antar bahir vayur ivaisa atma SYNONYMS yasmin—in such sacrificial ceremonies; harih—the Supreme Lord; bhagavan—the Personality of Godhead; ijyamanah—being worshiped; ijya-atma—the soul of all worshipable deities; murtih—in the forms; yajatam—those who worship; sam—welfare; tanoti—spreads; kaman—desires; amoghan—inviolable; sthira-jangamanam—of all the moving and nonmoving; antah—within; bahih—outside; vayuh—air; iva—like; esah—of all of them; atma—spirit soul. TRANSLATION In all sacrificial ceremonies, although sometimes a demigod is worshiped, the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead is worshiped because He is the Supersoul of everyone, and exists both inside and outside like the air. Thus it is He only who awards all welfare to the worshiper. PURPORT It is even sometimes seen that demigods like Indra and Candra are worshiped and offered sacrificial awards, yet the rewards of all such sacrifices are awarded to the worshiper by the Supreme Lord, and it is the Lord only who can offer all welfare to the worshiper. The demigods, although worshiped, cannot do anything without the sanction of the Lord because the Lord is the Supersoul of everyone, both moving and nonmoving. In Bhagavad-gita (9.23) the Lord Himself confirms this in the following sloka: ye ’py anya-devata-bhakta “Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kunti, is really meant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding.” The fact is that the Supreme Lord is one without a second. There is no God other than the Lord Himself. Thus the Supreme Lord is eternally transcendental to the material creation. But there are many who worship the demigods like the sun, the moon and Indra, who are only material representatives of the Supreme Lord. These demigods are indirect, qualitative representations of the Supreme Lord. A learned scholar or devotee, however, knows who is who. Therefore he directly worships the Supreme Lord and is not diverted by the material, qualitative representations. Those who are not so learned worship such qualitative, material representations, but their worship is unceremonious because it is irregular. SB1.17.35 TEXT 35 suta uvaca pariksitaivam adistah sa kalir jata-vepathuh tam udyatasim ahedam danda-panim ivodyatam SYNONYMS sutah uvaca—Sri Suta Gosvami said; pariksita—by Maharaja Pariksit; evam—thus; adistah—being ordered; sah—he; kalih—the personality of Kali; jata—there was; vepathuh—trembling; tam—him; udyata—raised; asim—sword; aha—said; idam—thus; danda-panim—Yamaraja, the personality of death; iva—like; udyatam—almost ready. TRANSLATION Sri Suta Gosvami said: The personality of Kali, thus being ordered by Maharaja Pariksit, began to tremble in fear. Seeing the King before him like Yamaraja, ready to Kill him, Kali spoke to the King as follows. PURPORT The King was ready to kill the personality of Kali at once, as soon as he disobeyed his order. Otherwise the King had no objection to allowing him to prolong his life. The personality of Kali also, after attempting to get rid of the punishment in various ways, decided that he must surrender unto him, and thus he began to tremble in fear of his life. The king, or the executive head, must be so strong as to stand before the personality of Kali like the personality of death, Yamaraja. The King’s order must be obeyed, otherwise the culprit’s life is in risk. That is the way to rule the personalities of Kali who create disturbance in the normal life of the state citizens. SB1.17.36 TEXT 36 kalir uvaca yatra kva vatha vatsyami sarva-bhauma tavajnaya laksaye tatra tatrapi tvam attesu-sarasanam SYNONYMS kalih uvaca—the personality of Kali said; yatra—anywhere; kva—and everywhere; va—either; atha—thereof; vatsyami—I shall reside; sarva-bhauma—O lord (or emperor) of the earth; tava—your; ajnaya—by the order; laksaye—I see; tatra tatra—anywhere and everywhere; api—also; tvam—Your Majesty; atta—taken over; isu—arrows; sarasanam—bows. TRANSLATION O Your Majesty, though I may live anywhere and everywhere under your order, I shall but see you with bow and arrows wherever I look. PURPORT The personality of Kali could see that Maharaja Pariksit was the emperor of all lands all over the world, and thus anywhere he might live he would have to meet with the same mood of the King. The personality of Kali was meant for mischief, and Maharaja Pariksit was meant for subduing all kinds of mischief-mongers, especially the personality of Kali. It was better, therefore, for the personality of Kali to have been killed by the King then and there instead of being killed elsewhere. He was, after all, a surrendered soul before the King, and it was for the King to do what was required. SB1.17.37 TEXT 37 tan me dharma-bhrtam srestha sthanam nirdestum arhasi yatraiva niyato vatsya atisthams te ’nusasanam SYNONYMS tat—therefore; me—me; dharma-bhrtam—of all the protectors of religion; srestha—O chief; sthanam—place; nirdestum—fix; arhasi—may you do so; yatra—where; eva—certainly; niyatah—always; vatsye—can reside; atisthan—permanently situated; te—your; anusasanam—under your rule. TRANSLATION Therefore, O chief amongst the protectors of religion, please fix some place for me where I can live permanently under the protection of your government. PURPORT The personality of Kali addressed Maharaja Pariksit as the chief amongst the protectors of religiosity because the King refrained from killing a person who surrendered unto him. A surrendered soul should be given all protection, even though he may be an enemy. That is the principle of religion. And we can just imagine what sort of protection is given by the Personality of Godhead to the person who surrenders unto Him, not as an enemy but as a devoted servitor. The Lord protects the surrendered soul from all sins and all resultant reactions of sinful acts (Bg. 18.66). SB1.17.38 TEXT 38 suta uvaca abhyarthitas tada tasmai sthanani kalaye dadau dyutam panam striyah suna yatradharmas catur-vidhah SYNONYMS sutah uvaca—Suta Gosvami said; abhyarthitah—thus being petitioned; tada—at that time; tasmai—unto him; sthanani—places; kalaye—to the personality of Kali; dadau—gave him permission; dyutam—gambling; panam—drinking; striyah—illicit association with women; suna—animal slaughter; yatra—wherever; adharmah—sinful activities; catuh-vidhah—four kinds of. TRANSLATION Suta Gosvami said: Maharaja Pariksit, thus being petitioned by the personality of Kali, gave him permission to reside in places where gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter were performed. PURPORT The basic principles of irreligiosity, such as pride, prostitution, intoxication and falsehood, counteract the four principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. The personality of Kali was given permission to live in four places particularly mentioned by the King, namely the place of gambling, the place of prostitution, the place of drinking and the place of animal slaughter. Srila Jiva Gosvami directs that drinking against the principles of scriptures, such as the sautramani-yajna, association with women outside marriage, and killing animals against the injunctions of scriptures are irreligious. In the Vedas two different types of injunctions are there for the pravrttas, or those who are engaged in material enjoyment, and for the nivrttas, or those who are liberated from material bondage. The Vedic injunction for the pravrttas is to gradually regulate their activities towards the path of liberation. Therefore, for those who are in the lowest stage of ignorance and who indulge in wine, women and flesh, drinking by performing sautramani-yajna, association of women by marriage and flesh-eating by sacrifices are sometimes recommended. Such recommendations in the Vedic literature are meant for a particular class of men, and not for all. But because they are injunctions of the Vedas for particular types of persons, such activities by the pravrttas are not considered adharma. One man’s food may be poison for others; similarly, what is recommended for those in the mode of ignorance may be poison for those in the mode of goodness. Srila Jiva Gosvami Prabhu, therefore, affirms that recommendations in the scriptures for a certain class of men are never to be considered adharma, or irreligious. But such activities are factually adharma, and they are never to be encouraged. The recommendations in the scriptures are not meant for the encouragement of such adharma, but for regulating the necessary adharma gradually toward the path of dharma. Following in the footsteps of Maharaja Pariksit, it is the duty of all executive heads of states to see that the principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness, are established in the state, and that the principles of irreligion, namely pride, illicit female association or prostitution, intoxication and falsity, are checked by all means. And to make the best use of a bad bargain, the personality of Kali may be transferred to places of gambling, drinking, prostitution and slaughterhouses, if there are any places like that. Those who are addicted to these irreligious habits may be regulated by the injunctions of the scripture. In no circumstances should they be encouraged by any state. In other words, the state should categorically stop all sorts of gambling, drinking, prostitution and falsity. The state which wants to eradicate corruption by majority may introduce the principles of religion in the following manner: 1. Two compulsory fasting days in a month, if not more (austerity). Even from the economic point of view, such two fasting days in a month in the state will save tons of food, and the system will also act very favorably on the general health of the citizens. 2. There must be compulsory marriage of young boys and girls attaining twenty-four years of age and sixteen years of age respectively. There is no harm in coeducation in the schools and colleges, provided the boys and girls are duly married, and in case there is any intimate connection between a male and female student, they should be married properly without illicit relation. The divorce act is encouraging prostitution, and this should be abolished. 3. The citizens of the state must give in charity up to fifty percent of their income for the purpose of creating a spiritual atmosphere in the state or in human society, both individually and collectively. They should preach the principles of Bhagavatam by (a) karma-yoga, or doing everything for the satisfaction of the Lord, (b) regular hearing of the Srimad-Bhagavatam from authorized persons or realized souls, (c) chanting of the glories of the Lord congregationally at home or at places of worship, (d) rendering all kinds of service to bhagavatas engaged in preaching Srimad-Bhagavatam and (e) residing in a place where the atmosphere is saturated with God consciousness. If the state is regulated by the above process, naturally there will be God consciousness everywhere. Gambling of all description, even speculative business enterprise, is considered to be degrading, and when gambling is encouraged in the state, there is a complete disappearance of truthfulness. Allowing young boys and girls to remain unmarried more than the above-mentioned ages and licensing animal slaughterhouses of all description should be at once prohibited. The flesh-eaters may be allowed to take flesh as mentioned in the scriptures, and not otherwise. Intoxication of all description—even smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco or the drinking of tea—must be prohibited. SB1.17.39 TEXT 39 punas ca yacamanaya jata-rupam adat prabhuh tato ’nrtam madam kamam rajo vairam ca pancamam SYNONYMS punah—again; ca—also; yacamanaya—to the beggar; jata-rupam—gold; adat—gave away; prabhuh—the King; tatah—whereby; anrtam—falsehood; madam—intoxication; kamam—lust; rajah—on account of a passionate mood; vairam—enmity; ca—also; pancamam—the fifth one. TRANSLATION The personality of Kali asked for something more, and because of his begging, the King gave him permission to live where there is gold because wherever there is gold there is also falsity, intoxication, lust, envy and enmity. PURPORT Although Maharaja Pariksit gave Kali permission to live in four places, it was very difficult for him to find the places because during the reign of Maharaja Pariksit there were no such places. Therefore Kali asked the King to give him something practical which could be utilized for his nefarious purposes. Maharaja Pariksit thus gave him permission to live in a place where there is gold, because wherever there is gold there are all the above-mentioned four things, and over and above them there is enmity also. So the personality of Kali became gold-standardized. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, gold encourages falsity, intoxication, prostitution, envy and enmity. Even a gold-standard exchange and currency is bad. Gold-standard currency is based on falsehood because the currency is not on a par with the reserved gold. The basic principle is falsity because currency notes are issued in value beyond that of the actual reserved gold. This artificial inflation of currency by the authorities encourages prostitution of the state economy. The price of commodities becomes artificially inflated because of bad money, or artificial currency notes. Bad money drives away good money. Instead of paper currency, actual gold coins should be used for exchange, and this will stop prostitution of gold. Gold ornaments for women may be allowed by control, not by quality, but by quantity. This will discourage lust, envy and enmity. When there is actual gold currency in the form of coins, the influence of gold in producing falsity, prostitution, etc., will automatically cease. There will be no need of an anticorruption ministry for another term of prostitution and falsity of purpose. SB1.17.40 TEXT 40 amuni panca sthanani hy adharma-prabhavah kalih auttareyena dattani nyavasat tan-nidesa-krt SYNONYMS amuni—all those; panca—five; sthanani—places; hi—certainly; adharma—irreligious principles; prabhavah—encouraging; kalih—the age of Kali; auttareyena—by the son of Uttara; dattani—delivered; nyavasat—dwelt; tat—by him; nidesa-krt—directed. TRANSLATION Thus the personality of Kali, by the directions of Maharaja Pariksit, the son of Uttara, was allowed to live in those five places. PURPORT Thus the age of Kali began with gold standardization, and therefore falsity, intoxication, animal slaughter and prostitution are rampant all over the world, and the saner section is eager to drive out corruption. The counteracting process is suggested above, and everyone can take advantage of this suggestion. SB1.17.41 TEXT 41 athaitani na seveta bubhusuh purusah kvacit visesato dharma-silo raja loka-patir guruh SYNONYMS atha—therefore; etani—all these; na—never; seveta—come in contact; bubhusuh—those who desire well-being; purusah—person; kvacit—in any circumstances; visesatah—specifically; dharma-silah—those who are on the progressive path of liberation; raja—the king; loka-patih—public leader; guruh—the brahmanas and the sannyasis. TRANSLATION Therefore, whoever desires progressive well-being, especially kings, religionists, public leaders, brahmanas and sannyasis, should never come in contact with the four above-mentioned irreligious principles. PURPORT The brahmanas are the religious preceptors for all other castes, and the sannyasis are the spiritual masters for all the castes and orders of society. So also are the king and the public leaders who are responsible for the material welfare of all people. The progressive religionists and those who are responsible human beings or those who do not want to spoil their valuable human lives should refrain from all the principles of irreligiosity, especially illicit connection with women. If a brahmana is not truthful, all his claims as a brahmana at once become null and void. If a sannyasi is illicitly connected with women, all his claims as a sannyasi at once become false. Similarly, if the king and the public leader are unnecessarily proud or habituated to drinking and smoking, certainly they become disqualified to discharge public welfare activities. Truthfulness is the basic principle for all religions. The four leaders of the human society, namely the sannyasis, the brahmana, the king and the public leader, must be tested crucially by their character and qualification. Before one can be accepted as a spiritual or material master of society, he must be tested by the above-mentioned criteria of character. Such public leaders may be less qualified in academic qualifications, but it is necessary primarily that they be free from the contamination of the four disqualifications, namely gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter. SB1.17.42 TEXT 42 vrsasya nastams trin padan tapah saucam dayam iti pratisandadha asvasya mahim ca samavardhayat SYNONYMS vrsasya—of the bull (the personality of religion); nastan—lost; trin—three; padan—legs; tapah—austerity; saucam—cleanliness; dayam—mercy; iti—thus; pratisandadhe—reestablished; asvasya—by encouraging activities; mahim—the earth; ca—and; samavardhayat—perfectly improved. TRANSLATION Thereafter the King reestablished the lost legs of the personality of religion [the bull], and by encouraging activities he sufficiently improved the condition of the earth. PURPORT By designating particular places for the personality of Kali, Maharaja Pariksit practically cheated Kali. In the presence of Kali, Dharma (in the shape of a bull), and the earth (in the shape of a cow), he could actually estimate the general condition of his kingdom, and therefore he at once took proper steps to reestablish the legs of the bull, namely austerity, cleanliness and mercy. And for the general benefit of the people of the world, he saw that the gold stock might be employed for stabilization. Gold is certainly a generator of falsity, intoxication, prostitution, enmity and violence, but under the guidance of a proper king or public leader, or a brahmana or sannyasi, the same gold can be properly utilized to reestablish the lost legs of the bull, the personality of religion. Maharaja Pariksit, therefore, like his grandfather Arjuna, collected all illicit gold kept for the propensities of Kali and employed it in the sankirtana-yajna, as per instruction of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. As we have suggested before, one’s accumulated wealth may be divided into three parts for distribution, namely fifty percent for the service of the Lord, twenty-five percent for the family members and twenty-five percent for personal necessities. Spending fifty percent for the service of the Lord or for propagation of spiritual knowledge in society by way of the sankirtana-yajna is the maximum display of human mercy. people of the world are generally in darkness regarding spiritual knowledge, especially in regard to the devotional service of the Lord, and therefore to propagate the systematic transcendental knowledge of devotional service is the greatest mercy that one can show in this world. When everyone is taught to sacrifice fifty percent of his accumulated gold for the Lord’s service, certainly austerity, cleanliness and mercy automatically ensue, and thus the lost three legs of the personality of religion are automatically established. When there is sufficient austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness, naturally mother earth is completely satisfied, and there is very little chance for Kali to infiltrate the structure of human society. SB1.17.43-44 TEXTS 43–44 sa esa etarhy adhyasta asanam parthivocitam pitamahenopanyastam rajnaranyam viviksata aste ’dhuna sa rajarsih kauravendra-sriyollasan gajahvaye maha-bhagas cakravarti brhac-chravah SYNONYMS sah—he; esah—this; etarhi—at the present; adhyaste—is ruling over; asanam—the throne; parthiva-ucitam—just befitting a king; pitamahena—by the grandfather; upanyastam—being handed over; rajna—by the King; aranyam—forest; viviksata—desiring; aste—is there; adhuna—at present; sah—that; raja-rsih—the sage amongst the kings; kaurava-indra—the chief amongst the Kuru kings; sriya—glories; ullasan—spreading; gajahvaye—in Hastinapura; maha-bhagah—the most fortunate; cakravarti—the Emperor; brhat-sravah—highly famous. TRANSLATION The most fortunate Emperor Maharaja Pariksit, who was entrusted with the kingdom of Hastinapura by Maharaja Yudhisthira when he desired to retire to the forest, is now ruling the world with great success due to his being glorified by the deeds of the kings of the Kuru dynasty. PURPORT The prolonged sacrificial ceremonies undertaken by the sages of Naimisaranya were begun shortly after the demise of Maharaja Pariksit. The sacrifice was to continue for one thousand years, and it is understood that in the beginning some of the contemporaries of Baladeva, the elder brother of Lord Krsna, also visited the sacrificial place. According to some authorities, the present tense is also used to indicate the nearest margin of time from the past. In that sense, the present tense is applied to the reign of Maharaja Pariksit here. For a continuous fact, also, present tense can be used. The principles of Maharaja Pariksit can be still continued, and human society can still be improved if there is determination by the authorities. We can still purge out from the state all the activities of immorality introduced by the personality of Kali if we are determined to take action like Maharaja Pariksit. He allotted some place for Kali, but in fact Kali could not find such places in the world at all because Maharaja Pariksit was strictly vigilant to see that there were no places for gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter. Modern administrators want to banish corruption from the state, but fools as they are, they do not know how to do it. They want to issue licenses for gambling houses, wine and other intoxicating drug houses, brothels, hotel prostitution and cinema houses, and falsity in every dealing, even in their own, and they want at the same time to drive out corruption from the state. They want the kingdom of God without God consciousness. How can it be possible to adjust two contradictory matters? If we want to drive out corruption from the state, we must first of all organize society to accept the principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness, and to make the condition favorable we must close all places of gambling, drinking, prostitution and falsity. These are some of the practical lessons from the pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam. SB1.17.45 TEXT 45 ittham-bhutanubhavo ’yam abhimanyu-suto nrpah yasya palayatah ksaunim yuyam satraya diksitah SYNONYMS ittham-bhuta—being thus; anubhavah—experience; ayam—of this; abhimanyu-sutah—son of Abhimanyu; nrpah—the king; yasya—whose; palayatah—on account of his ruling; ksaunim—on the earth; yuyam—you all; satraya—in performing sacrifices; diksitah—initiated. TRANSLATION Maharaja Pariksit, the son of Abhimanyu, is so experienced that by dint of his expert administration and patronage, it has been possible for you to perform a sacrifice such as this. PURPORT The brahmanas and the sannyasis are expert in the spiritual advancement of society, whereas the ksatriyas or the administrators are expert in the material peace and prosperity of human society. Both of them are the pillars of all happiness, and therefore they are meant for full cooperation for common welfare. Maharaja Pariksit was experienced enough to drive away Kali from his field of activities and thereby make the state receptive to spiritual enlightenment. If the common people are not receptive, it is very difficult to impress upon them the necessity of spiritual enlightenment. Austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness, the basic principles of religion, prepare the ground for the reception of advancement in spiritual knowledge, and Maharaja Pariksit made this favorable condition possible. Thus the rsis of Naimisaranya were able to perform the sacrifices for a thousand years. In other words, without state support, no doctrines of philosophy or religious principles can progressively advance. There should be complete cooperation between the brahmanas and the ksatriyas for this common good. Even up to Maharaja Asoka, the same spirit was prevailing. Lord Buddha was sufficiently supported by King Asoka, and thus his particular cult of knowledge was spread all over the world. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the First Canto, Seventeenth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Punishment and Reward of Kali.”
yajante sraddhayanvitah
te ’pi mam eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-purvakam