Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Canto 6: “Prescribed Duties for Mankind”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Fourteen
King Citraketu’s Lamentation
SB6.14Summary
In this Fourteenth Chapter, Parīkṣit Mahārāja asks his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, how such a demon as Vṛtrāsura could become an exalted devotee. In this connection the previous life of Vṛtrāsura is discussed. This involves the story of Citraketu and how he was victimized by lamentation because of the death of his son.
Among many millions of living entities, the number of human beings is extremely small, and among human beings who are actually religious, only some are eager to be liberated from material existence. Among many thousands of people who desire relief from material existence, one is freed from the association of unwanted persons or is relieved of material contamination. And among many millions of such liberated persons, one may become a devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa. Therefore such devotees are extremely rare. Since bhakti, devotional service, is not ordinary, Parīkṣit Mahārāja was astonished that an asura could rise to the exalted position of a devotee. Being doubtful, Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who then described Vṛtrāsura with reference to his previous birth as Citraketu, the King of Śūrasena.
Citraketu, who had no sons, got an opportunity to meet the great sage Aṅgirā. When Aṅgirā inquired from the King about his welfare, the King expressed his moroseness, and therefore by the grace of the great sage, the King’s first wife, Kṛtadyuti, gave birth to a son, who was the cause of both happiness and lamentation. Upon the birth of this son, the King and all the residents of the palace were very happy. The co-wives of Kṛtadyuti, however, were envious, and later they administered poison to the child. Citraketu was overwhelmed by shock at his son’s death. Then Nārada Muni and Aṅgirā went to see him.
SB6.14.1 TEXT 1 śrī-parīkṣid uvāca rajas-tamaḥ-svabhāvasya brahman vṛtrasya pāpmanaḥ nārāyaṇe bhagavati katham āsīd dṛḍhā matiḥ SYNONYMS śrī-parīkṣit uvāca—King Parīkṣit inquired; rajaḥ—of the mode of passion; tamaḥ—and of the mode of ignorance; sva-bhāvasya—having a nature; brahman—O learned brāhmaṇa; vṛtrasya—of Vṛtrāsura; pāpmanaḥ—who was supposedly sinful; nārāyaṇe—in Lord Nārāyaṇa; bhagavati—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; katham—how; āsīt—was there; dṛḍhā—very strong; matiḥ—consciousness.
TRANSLATION King Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O learned brāhmaṇa, demons are generally sinful, being obsessed with the modes of passion and ignorance. How, then, could Vṛtrāsura have attained such exalted love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa? PURPORT In this material world, everyone is obsessed with the modes of passion and ignorance. However, unless one conquers these modes and comes to the platform of goodness, there is no chance of one’s becoming a pure devotee. This is confirmed by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (7.28):
yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ “Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.” Since Vṛtrāsura was among the demons, Mahārāja Parīkṣit wondered how it was possible for him to have become such an exalted devotee.
SB6.14.2 TEXT 2 devānāṁ śuddha-sattvānām ṛṣīṇāṁ cāmalātmanām bhaktir mukunda-caraṇe na prāyeṇopajāyate SYNONYMS devānām—of the demigods; śuddha-sattvānām—whose minds are purified; ṛṣīṇām—of great saintly persons; ca—and; amala-ātmanām—who have purified their existence; bhaktiḥ—devotional service; mukunda-caraṇe—to the lotus feet of Mukunda, the Lord, who can give liberation; na—not; prāyeṇa—almost always; upajāyate—develops.
TRANSLATION Demigods situated in the mode of goodness and great saints cleansed of the dirt of material enjoyment hardly ever render pure devotional service at the lotus feet of Mukunda. [Therefore how could Vṛtrāsura have become such a great devotee?] SB6.14.3 TEXT 3 rajobhiḥ sama-saṅkhyātāḥ pārthivair iha jantavaḥ teṣāṁ ye kecanehante śreyo vai manujādayaḥ SYNONYMS rajobhiḥ—with the atoms; sama-saṅkhyātāḥ—having the same numerical strength; pārthivaiḥ—of the earth; iha—in this world; jantavaḥ—the living entities; teṣām—of them; ye—those who; kecana—some; īhante—act; śreyaḥ—for religious principles; vai—indeed; manuja-ādayaḥ—the human beings and so on.
TRANSLATION In this material world there are as many living entities as atoms. Among these living entities, a very few are human beings, and among them, few are interested in following religious principles. SB6.14.4 TEXT 4 prāyo mumukṣavas teṣāṁ kecanaiva dvijottama mumukṣūṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścin mucyeta sidhyati SYNONYMS prāyaḥ—almost always; mumukṣavaḥ—persons interested in liberation; teṣām—of them; kecana—some; eva—indeed; dvija-uttama—O best of the brāhmaṇas; mumukṣūṇām—of those who desire to be liberated; sahasreṣu—in many thousands; kaścit—someone; mucyeta—may be actually liberated; sidhyati—someone is perfect.
TRANSLATION O best of the brāhmaṇas, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, out of many persons who follow religious principles, only a few desire liberation from the material world. Among many thousands who desire liberation, one may actually achieve liberation, giving up material attachment to society, friendship, love, country, home, wife and children. And among many thousands of such liberated persons, one who can understand the true meaning of liberation is very rare. PURPORT There are four classes of men, namely karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs and bhaktas. This statement pertains especially to karmīs and jñānīs. A karmī tries to he happy within this material world by changing from one body to another. His objective is bodily comfort, either in this planet or in another. When such a person becomes a jñānī, however, be aspires for liberation from material bondage. Among many such persons who aspire for liberation, one may actually be liberated during his life. Such a person gives up his attachment for society, friendship, love, country, family, wife and children. Among many such persons, who are in the vānaprastha stage, one may understand the value of becoming a sannyāsī, completely accepting the renounced order of life.
SB6.14.5 TEXT 5 muktānām api siddhānāṁ nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ sudurlabhaḥ praśāntātmā koṭiṣv api mahā-mune SYNONYMS muktānām—of those who are liberated during this life (who are unattached to the bodily comforts of society, friendship and love); api—even; siddhānām—who are perfect (because they understand the insignificance of bodily comforts); nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ—a person who has concluded that Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme; su-durlabhaḥ—very rarely found; praśānta—fully pacified; ātmā—whose mind; koṭiṣu—out of millions and trillions; api—even; mahā-mune—O great sage.
TRANSLATION O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa. Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare. PURPORT Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives the following purport to this verse. Simply desiring mukti, or liberation, is insufficient; one must become factually liberated. When one understands the futility of the materialistic way of life, one becomes advanced in knowledge, and therefore he situates himself in the vānaprastha order, unattached to family, wife and children. One should then further progress to the platform of sannyāsa, the actual renounced order, never to fall again and be afflicted by materialistic life. Even though one desires to be liberated, this does not mean he is liberated. Only rarely is someone liberated. Indeed, although many men take sannyāsa to become liberated, because of their imperfections they again become attached to women, material activities, social welfare work and so on.
Jñānīs, yogīs and karmīs devoid of devotional service are called offenders. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, māyāvādī kṛṣṇe aparādhī: one who thinks that everything is māyā instead of thinking that everything is Kṛṣṇa is called an aparādhī, or offender. Although the Māyāvādīs, impersonalists, are offenders at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they may nonetheless be counted among the siddhas, those who have realized the self. They may be considered nearer to spiritual perfection because at least they have realized what spiritual life is. If such a person becomes nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, a devotee of Lord Nārāyaṇa, he is better than a jīvan-mukta, one who is liberated or perfect. This requires higher intelligence.
There are two kinds of jñānīs. One is inclined to devotional service and the other to impersonal realization. Impersonalists generally undergo great endeavor for no tangible benefit, and therefore it is said that they are husking paddy that has no grain (sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinaḥ). The other class of jñānīs, whose jñāna is mixed with bhakti, are also of two kinds—those who are devoted to the so-called false form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and those who understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], the actual spiritual form. The Māyāvādī devotees worship Nārāyaṇa or Viṣṇu with the idea that Viṣṇu has accepted a form of māyā and that the ultimate truth is actually impersonal. The pure devotee, however, never thinks that Viṣṇu has accepted a body of māyā; instead, he knows perfectly well that the original Absolute Truth is the Supreme Person. Such a devotee is actually situated in knowledge. He never merges in the Brahman effulgence. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.32):
ye ’nye ’ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas “O Lord, the intelligence of those who think themselves liberated but who have no devotion is impure. Even though they rise to the highest point of liberation by dint of severe penances and austerities, they are sure to fall down again into material existence, for they do not take shelter at Your lotus feet.” Evidence of this same point is also given in Bhagavad-gītā (9.11), wherein the Lord says:
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā [Bg. 9.11] “Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.” When rascals (mūḍhas) see that Kṛṣṇa acts exactly like a human being, they deride the transcendental form of the Lord because they do not know the paraṁ bhāvam, His transcendental form and activities. Such persons are further described in Bhagavad-gītā (9.12) as follows:
moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo “Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demoniac and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.” Such persons do not know that Kṛṣṇa’s body is not material. There is no distinction between Kṛṣṇa’s body and His soul, but because less intelligent men see Kṛṣṇa as a human being, they deride Him. They cannot imagine how a person like Kṛṣṇa could be the origin of everything (govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **). Such persons are described as moghāśāḥ, baffled in their hopes. Whatever they desire for the future will be baffled. Even if they apparently engage in devotional service, they are described as moghāśāḥ because they ultimately desire to merge into the Brahman effulgence.
Those who aspire to be elevated to the heavenly planets by devotional service will also be frustrated, because this is not the result of devotional service. However, they are also given a chance to engage in devotional service and be purified. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17):
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ “Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.”
Unless the dirt within the core of one’s heart is cleansed away, one cannot become a pure devotee. Therefore the word sudurlabhaḥ (“very rarely found”) is used in this verse. Not only among hundreds and thousands, but among millions of perfectly liberated souls, a pure devotee is hardly ever found. Therefore the words koṭiṣv api are used herein. Śrīla Madhvācārya gives the following quotations from the Tantra Bhāgavata:
nava-koṭyas tu devānām “There are ninety million demigods and seventy million sages, who are all called nārāyaṇāyana, devotees of Lord Nārāyaṇa. Among them, only a few are called nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa.”
nārāyaṇāyanā devā The difference between the siddhas and nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇas is that direct devotees are called nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇas whereas those who perform various types of mystic yoga are called siddhas.
SB6.14.6 TEXT 6 vṛtras tu sa kathaṁ pāpaḥ sarva-lokopatāpanaḥ itthaṁ dṛḍha-matiḥ kṛṣṇa āsīt saṅgrāma ulbaṇe SYNONYMS vṛtraḥ—Vṛtrāsura; tu—but; saḥ—he; katham—how; pāpaḥ—although sinful (getting the body of a demon); sarva-loka—of all the three worlds; upatāpanaḥ—the cause of suffering; ittham—such; dṛḍha-matiḥ—firmly fixed intelligence; kṛṣṇe—in Kṛṣṇa; āsīt—there was; saṅgrāme ulbaṇe—in the great blazing fire of battle.
TRANSLATION Vṛtrāsura was situated in the blazing fire of battle and was an infamous, sinful demon, always engaged in giving troubles and anxieties to others. How could such a demon become so greatly Kṛṣṇa conscious? PURPORT It has been described that a nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, a pure devotee, is rarely found even among millions and millions of persons. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja was surprised that Vṛtrāsura, whose purpose was to give trouble and anxiety to others, was one of these devotees, even on a battlefield. What was the reason for Vṛtrāsura’s advancement?
SB6.14.7 TEXT 7 atra naḥ saṁśayo bhūyāñ chrotuṁ kautūhalaṁ prabho yaḥ pauruṣeṇa samare sahasrākṣam atoṣayat SYNONYMS atra—in this connection; naḥ—our; saṁśayaḥ—doubt; bhūyān—great; śrotum—to hear; kautūhalam—eagerness; prabho—O my lord; yaḥ—he who; pauruṣeṇa—by bravery and strength; samare—in battle; sahasra-akṣam—Lord Indra, who has one thousand eyes; atoṣayat—pleased.
TRANSLATION My dear lord, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, although Vṛtrāsura was a sinful demon, he showed the prowess of a most exalted kṣatriya and satisfied Lord Indra in battle. How could such a demon be a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa? These contradictions have caused me great doubt, and they have made me eager to hear of this from you. SB6.14.8 TEXT 8 śrī-sūta uvāca parīkṣito ’tha sampraśnaṁ bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ niśamya śraddadhānasya pratinandya vaco ’bravīt SYNONYMS śrī-sūtaḥ uvāca—Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said; parīkṣitaḥ—of Mahārāja Parīkṣit; atha—thus; sampraśnam—the perfect question; bhagavān—the most powerful; bādarāyaṇiḥ—Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva; niśamya—hearing; śraddadhānasya—of his disciple, who was so faithful in understanding the truth; pratinandya—congratulating; vacaḥ—words; abravīt—spoke.
TRANSLATION Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: After hearing Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s very intelligent question, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the most powerful sage, began answering his disciple with great affection. SB6.14.9 TEXT 9 śrī-śuka uvāca śṛṇuṣvāvahito rājann itihāsam imaṁ yathā śrutaṁ dvaipāyana-mukhān nāradād devalād api SYNONYMS śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; śṛṇuṣva—please hear; avahitaḥ—with great attention; rājan—O King; itihāsam—history; imam—this; yathā—just as; śrutam—heard; dvaipāyana—of Vyāsadeva; mukhāt—from the mouth; nāradāt—from Nārada; devalāt—from Devala Ṛṣi; api—also.
TRANSLATION Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, I shall speak to you the same history I have heard from the mouths of Vyāsadeva, Nārada and Devala. Please listen with attention. SB6.14.10 TEXT 10 āsīd rājā sārvabhaumaḥ śūraseneṣu vai nṛpa citraketur iti khyāto yasyāsīt kāmadhuṅ mahī SYNONYMS āsīt—there was; rājā—one king; sārva-bhaumaḥ—an emperor of the entire surface of the globe; śūraseneṣu—in the country known as Śūrasena; vai—indeed; nṛpa—O King; citraketuḥ—Citraketu; iti—thus; khyātaḥ—celebrated; yasya—of whom; āsīt—was; kāma-dhuk—supplying all the necessities; mahī—the earth.
TRANSLATION O King Parīkṣit, in the province of Śūrasena there was a king named Citraketu, who ruled the entire earth. During his reign, the earth produced all the necessities for life. PURPORT Here the most significant statement is that the earth completely produced all the necessities of life during the time of King Citraketu. As stated in the Īśopaniṣad (Mantra 1):
īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ “Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.” Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller, has created the material world, which is completely perfect and free from scarcity. The Lord supplies the necessities of all living entities. These necessities come from the earth, and thus the earth is the source of supply. When there is a good ruler, that source produces the necessities of life abundantly. However, when there is not such a good ruler, there will be scarcity. This is the significance of the word kāmadhuk. Elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.10.4) it is said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ sarva-kāma-dughā mahī: “During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of men in profusion.” We have experience that in some seasons the rains produce abundance and in other seasons there is scarcity. We have no control over the earth’s productiveness, for it is naturally under the full control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By His order, the Lord can make the earth produce sufficiently or insufficiently. If a pious king rules the earth according to the śāstric injunctions, there will naturally be regular rainfall and sufficient produce to provide for all men. There will be no question of exploitation, for everyone will have enough. Black-marketeering and other corrupt dealings will then automatically stop. Simply ruling the land cannot solve man’s problems unless the leader has spiritual capabilities. He must be like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Parīkṣit Mahārāja or Rāmacandra. Then all the inhabitants of the land will be extremely happy.
SB6.14.11 TEXT 11 tasya bhāryā-sahasrāṇāṁ sahasrāṇi daśābhavan sāntānikaś cāpi nṛpo na lebhe tāsu santatim SYNONYMS tasya—of him (King Citraketu); bhāryā—of wives; sahasrāṇām—of thousands; sahasrāṇi—thousands; daśa—ten; abhavan—there were; sāntānikaḥ—quite capable of begetting sons; ca—and; api—although; nṛpaḥ—the King; na—not; lebhe—obtained; tāsu—in them; santatim—a son.
TRANSLATION This Citraketu had ten million wives, but although he was capable of producing children, he did not receive a child from any of them. By chance, all the wives were barren. SB6.14.12 TEXT 12 rūpaudārya-vayo-janma- vidyaiśvarya-śriyādibhiḥ sampannasya guṇaiḥ sarvaiś cintā bandhyā-pater abhūt SYNONYMS rūpa—with beauty; audārya—magnanimity; vayaḥ—youth; janma—aristocratic birth; vidyā—education; aiśvarya—opulence; śriya-ādibhiḥ—wealth and so on; sampannasya—endowed; guṇaiḥ—with good qualities; sarvaiḥ—all; cintā—anxiety; bandhyā-pateḥ—of Citraketu, the husband of so many sterile wives; abhūt—there was.
TRANSLATION Citraketu, the husband of these millions of wives, was endowed with a beautiful form, magnanimity and youth. He was born in a high family, he had a complete education, and he was wealthy and opulent. Nevertheless, in spite of being endowed with all these assets, he was full of anxiety because he did not have a son. PURPORT It appears that the King first married one wife, but she could not bear a child. Then he married a second, a third, a fourth and so on, but none of the wives could bear children. In spite of the material assets of janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī—birth in an aristocratic family with full opulence, wealth, education and beauty—he was very much aggrieved because in spite of having so many wives, he had no son. Certainly his grief was natural. Gṛhastha life does not mean having a wife and no children. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam: if a family man has no son, his home is no better than a desert. The King was certainly most unhappy that he could not get a son, and this is why he had married so many times. Kṣatriyas especially are allowed to marry more than one wife, and this King did so. Nonetheless, he had no issue.
SB6.14.13 TEXT 13 na tasya sampadaḥ sarvā mahiṣyo vāma-locanāḥ sārvabhaumasya bhūś ceyam abhavan prīti-hetavaḥ SYNONYMS na—not; tasya—of him (Citraketu); sampadaḥ—the great opulences; sarvāḥ—all; mahiṣyaḥ—the queens; vāma-locanāḥ—having very attractive eyes; sārva-bhaumasya—of the emperor; bhūḥ—land; ca—also; iyam—this; abhavan—were; prīti-hetavaḥ—sources of pleasure.
TRANSLATION His queens all had beautiful faces and attractive eyes, yet neither his opulences, his hundreds and thousands of queens, nor the lands of which he was the supreme proprietor were sources of happiness for him. SB6.14.14 TEXT 14 tasyaikadā tu bhavanam aṅgirā bhagavān ṛṣiḥ lokān anucarann etān upāgacchad yadṛcchayā SYNONYMS tasya—of him; ekadā—once upon a time; tu—but; bhavanam—to the palace; aṅgirāḥ—Aṅgirā; bhagavān—very powerful; ṛṣiḥ—sage; lokān—planets; anucaran—traveling around; etān—these; upāgacchat—came; yadṛcchayā—suddenly.
TRANSLATION Once upon a time, when the powerful sage named Aṅgirā was traveling all over the universe without engagement, by his sweet will he came to the palace of King Citraketu. SB6.14.15 TEXT 15 taṁ pūjayitvā vidhivat pratyutthānārhaṇādibhiḥ kṛtātithyam upāsīdat sukhāsīnaṁ samāhitaḥ SYNONYMS tam—him; pūjayitvā—after worshiping; vidhi-vat—according to the rules and regulations for receiving exalted guests; pratyutthāna—by standing from the throne; arhaṇa-ādibhiḥ—offering worship and so on; kṛta-atithyam—who was given hospitality; upāsīdat—sat down near; sukha-āsīnam—who was seated very comfortably; samāhitaḥ—controlling his mind and senses.
TRANSLATION Citraketu immediately stood up from his throne and offered him worship. He offered drinking water and eatables and in this way performed his duty as a host to a great guest. When the ṛṣi was seated very comfortably, the King, restraining his mind and senses, sat on the ground at the side of the ṛṣi’s feet. SB6.14.16 TEXT 16 maharṣis tam upāsīnaṁ praśrayāvanataṁ kṣitau pratipūjya mahārāja samābhāṣyedam abravīt SYNONYMS mahā-ṛṣiḥ—the great sage; tam—unto him (the King); upāsīnam—sitting near; praśraya-avanatam—bowing in humility; kṣitau—on the ground; pratipūjya—congratulating; mahārāja—O King Parīkṣit; samābhāṣya—addressing; idam—this; abravīt—said.
TRANSLATION O King Parīkṣit, when Citraketu, bent low in humility, was seated at the lotus feet of the great sage, the sage congratulated him for his humility and hospitality. The sage addressed him in the following words. SB6.14.17 TEXT 17 aṅgirā uvāca api te ’nāmayaṁ svasti prakṛtīnāṁ tathātmanaḥ yathā prakṛtibhir guptaḥ pumān rājā ca saptabhiḥ SYNONYMS aṅgirāḥ uvāca—the great sage Aṅgirā said; api—whether; te—of you; anāmayam—health; svasti—auspiciousness; prakṛtīnām—of your royal elements (associates and paraphernalia); tathā—as well as; ātmanaḥ—of your own body, mind and soul; yathā—like; prakṛtibhiḥ—by the elements of material nature; guptaḥ—protected; pumān—the living being; rājā—the king; ca—also; saptabhiḥ—by seven.
TRANSLATION The great sage Aṅgirā said: My dear King, I hope that your body and mind and your royal associates and paraphernalia are well. When the seven properties of material nature [the total material energy, the ego and the five objects of sense gratification] are in proper order, the living entity within the material elements is happy. Without these seven elements one cannot exist. Similarly, a king is always protected by seven elements—his instructor (svāmī or guru), his ministers, his kingdom, his fort, his treasury, his royal order and his friends. PURPORT As it is quoted by Śrīdhara Svāmī in his Bhāgavatam commentary:
svāmy-amātyau janapadā A king is not alone. He first has his spiritual master, the supreme guide. Then come his ministers, his kingdom, his fortifications, his treasury, his system of law and order, and his friends or allies. If these seven are properly maintained, the king is happy. Similarly, as explained in Bhagavad-gītā (dehino ’smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]), the living entity, the soul, is within the material covering of the mahat-tattva, ego and pañca-tanmātrā, the five objects of sense gratification. When these seven are in proper order, the living entity is in a mood of pleasure. Generally when the associates of the king are quiet and obedient, the king can be happy. Therefore the great sage Aṅgirā Ṛṣi inquired about the King’s personal health and the good fortune of his seven associates. When we inquire from a friend whether everything is well, we are concerned not only with his personal self but also with his family, his source of income, and his assistants or servants. All of them must be well, and then a person can be happy.
SB6.14.18 TEXT 18 ātmānaṁ prakṛtiṣv addhā nidhāya śreya āpnuyāt rājñā tathā prakṛtayo naradevāhitādhayaḥ SYNONYMS ātmānam—himself; prakṛtiṣu—under these seven royal elements; addhā—directly; nidhāya—placing; śreyaḥ—ultimate happiness; āpnuyāt—may obtain; rājñā—by the king; tathā—so also; prakṛtayaḥ—the dependent royal elements; nara-deva—O King; āhita-adhayaḥ—offering wealth and other items.
TRANSLATION O King, O lord of humanity, when a king directly depends upon his associates and follows their instructions, he is happy. Similarly, when his associates offer their gifts and activities to the king and follow his orders, they are also happy. PURPORT The actual happiness of a king and his dependents is described in this verse. A king should not simply give orders to his dependents because he is supreme; sometimes he must follow their instructions. Similarly, the dependents should depend on the king. This mutual dependence will make everyone happy.
SB6.14.19 TEXT 19 api dārāḥ prajāmātyā bhṛtyāḥ śreṇyo ’tha mantriṇaḥ paurā jānapadā bhūpā ātmajā vaśa-vartinaḥ SYNONYMS api—whether; dārāḥ—wives; prajā—citizens; amātyāḥ—and secretaries; bhṛtyāḥ—servants; śreṇyaḥ—merchants; atha—as well as; mantriṇaḥ—ministers; paurāḥ—inmates of the palace; jānapadāḥ—the provincial governors; bhūpāḥ—landholders; ātma-jāḥ—sons; vaśa-vartinaḥ—under your full control.
TRANSLATION O King, are your wives, citizens, secretaries and servants and the merchants who sell spices and oil under your control? Are you also in full control of ministers, the inhabitants of your palace, your provincial governors, your sons and your other dependents? PURPORT The master or king and his subordinates should be interdependent. Through cooperation, both of them can be happy.
SB6.14.20 TEXT 20 yasyātmānuvaśaś cet syāt sarve tad-vaśagā ime lokāḥ sapālā yacchanti sarve balim atandritāḥ SYNONYMS yasya—of whom; ātmā—mind; anuvaśaḥ—under control; cet—if; syāt—may be; sarve—all; tat-vaśa-gāḥ—under the control of him; ime—these; lokāḥ—the worlds; sa-pālāḥ—with their governors; yacchanti—offer; sarve—all; balim—contribution; atandritāḥ—becoming free from laziness.
TRANSLATION If the king’s mind is fully controlled, all his family members and governmental officers are subordinate to him. His provincial governors present taxes on time, without resistance, and what to speak of lesser servants? PURPORT Aṅgirā Ṛṣi asked the King whether his mind was also under control. This is most essential for happiness.
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janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ
āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho ’nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva
prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
ṛṣayaḥ sapta-koṭayaḥ
nārāyaṇāyanāḥ sarve
ye kecit tat-parāyaṇāḥ
ṛṣy-ādyās tat-parāyaṇāḥ
brahmādyāḥ kecanaiva syuḥ
siddho yogya-sukhaṁ labhan
yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā
mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam
durga-draviṇa-sañcayāḥ
daṇḍo mitraṁ ca tasyaitāḥ
sapta-prakṛtayo matāḥ