Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4: “The Creation of the Fourth Order”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Twenty-three
Maharaja Prthu’s Going Back Home
SB4.23.1-3
TEXTS 1–3
maitreya uvaca
drstvatmanam pravayasam
ekada vainya atmavan
atmana vardhitasesa-
svanusargah prajapatih
jagatas tasthusas capi
vrttido dharma-bhrt satam
nispaditesvaradeso
yad-artham iha jajnivan
atmajesv atmajam nyasya
virahad rudatim iva
prajasu vimanahsv ekah
sa-daro ’gat tapo-vanam
SYNONYMS
maitreyah uvaca—the sage Maitreya continued to speak; drstva—after seeing; atmanam—of the body; pravayasam—old age; ekada—once upon a time; vainyah—King Prthu; atma-van—fully conversant in spiritual education; atmana—by oneself; vardhita—increased; asesa—unlimitedly; sva-anusargah—creation of material opulences; praja-patih—a protector of citizens; jagatah—moving; tasthusah—not moving; ca—also; api—certainly; vrtti-dah—one who gives pensions; dharma-bhrt—one who observes the religious principles; satam—of the devotees; nispadita—fully executed; isvara—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adesah—order; yat-artham—in coordination with Him; iha—in this world; jajnivan—performed; atma-jesu—unto his sons; atma-jam—the earth; nyasya—indicating; virahat—out of separation; rudatim iva—just like lamenting; prajasu—unto the citizens; vimanahsu—unto the aggrieved; ekah—alone; sa-darah—with his wife; agat—went; tapah-vanam—in the forest where one can execute austerities.
TRANSLATION
At the last stage of his life, when Maharaja Prthu saw himself getting old, that great soul, who was king of the world, divided whatever opulence he had accumulated amongst all kinds of living entities, moving and nonmoving. He arranged pensions for everyone according to religious principles, and after executing the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in complete coordination with Him, he dedicated his sons unto the earth, which was considered to be his daughter. Then Maharaja Prthu left the presence of his citizens, who were almost lamenting and crying from feeling separation from the King, and went to the forest alone with his wife to perform austerities.
PURPORT
Maharaja Prthu was one of the saktyavesa incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such he appeared on the surface of the earth to execute the orders of the Supreme. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of all planets, and He is always anxious to see that in each and every planet the living entities are happily living and executing their duties. As soon as there is some discrepancy in the execution of duties, the Lord appears on earth, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (4.7): yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata.
Since there were so many discrepancies during the reign of King Vena, the Lord sent His most confidential devotee Maharaja Prthu to settle things. Therefore, after executing the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and settling the affairs of the world, Maharaja Prthu was ready to retire. He had been exemplary in his governmental administration, and now he was to become exemplary in his retirement. He divided all his property amongst his sons and appointed them to rule the world, and then he went to the forest with his wife. It is significant in this connection that it is said that Maharaja Prthu retired alone and at the same time took his wife with him. According to Vedic principles, when retiring from family life, one can take his wife with him, for the husband and wife are considered to be one unit. Thus they can both combinedly perform austerities for liberation. This is the path that Maharaja Prthu, who was an exemplary character, followed, and this is also the way of Vedic civilization. One should not simply remain at home until the time of death, but should separate from family life at a timely moment and prepare himself to go back to Godhead. As a saktyavesa incarnation of God who had actually come from Vaikuntha as a representative of Krsna, Maharaja Prthu was certain to go back to Godhead. Nonetheless, in order to set the example in all ways, he also underwent severe austerities in the tapo-vana. It appears that in those days there were many tapo-vanas, or forests especially meant for retirement and the practice of austerities. Indeed, it was compulsory for everyone to go to the tapo-vana to fully accept the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for it is very difficult to retire from family life and at the same time remain at home. SB4.23.4 TEXT 4 tatrapy adabhya-niyamo vaikhanasa-susammate arabdha ugra-tapasi yatha sva-vijaye pura SYNONYMS tatra—there; api—also; adabhya—severe; niyamah—austerities; vaikhanasa—rules and regulations of retired life; su-sammate—perfectly recognized; arabdhah—beginning; ugra—severe; tapasi—austerity; yatha—as much as; sva-vijaye—in conquering the world; pura—formerly. TRANSLATION After retiring from family life, Maharaja Prthu strictly followed the regulations of retired life and underwent severe austerities in the forest. He engaged in these activities as seriously as he had formerly engaged in leading the government and conquering everyone. PURPORT As it is necessary for one to become very active in family life, similarly, after retirement from family life, it is necessary to control the mind and senses. This is possible when one engages himself fully in the devotional service of the Lord. Actually the whole purpose of the Vedic system, the Vedic social order, is to enable one to ultimately return home, back to Godhead. The grhastha-asrama is a sort of concession combining sense gratification with a regulative life. It is to enable one to easily retire in the middle of life and engage fully in austerities in order to transcend material sense gratification once and for all. Therefore in the vanaprastha stage of life, tapasya, or austerity, is strongly recommended. Maharaja Prthu followed exactly all the rules of vanaprastha life, which is technically known as vaikhanasa-asrama. The word vaikhanasa-susammate is significant because in vanaprastha life the regulative principles are also to be strictly followed. In other words, Maharaja Prthu was an ideal character in every sphere of life. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah: one should follow in the footsteps of great personalities. Thus by following the exemplary character of Maharaja Prthu, one can become perfect in all respects while living this life or while retiring from active life. Thus after giving up this body, one can become liberated and go back to Godhead. SB4.23.5 TEXT 5 kanda-mula-phalaharah suska-parnasanah kvacit ab-bhaksah katicit paksan vayu-bhaksas tatah param SYNONYMS kanda—trunk; mula—roots; phala—fruits; aharah—eating; suska—dry; parna—leaves; asanah—eating; kvacit—sometimes; ap-bhaksah—drinking water; katicit—for several; paksan—fortnights; vayu—the air; bhaksah—breathing; tatah param—thereafter. TRANSLATION In the tapo-vana, Maharaja Prthu sometimes ate the trunks and roots of trees, and sometimes he ate fruit and dried leaves, and for some weeks he drank only water. Finally he lived simply by breathing air. PURPORT In Bhagavad-gita, yogis are advised to go to a secluded place in the forest and live alone in a sanctified spot there. By Prthu Maharaja’s behavior we can understand that when he went to the forest he did not eat any cooked food sent from the city by some devotees or disciples. As soon as one takes a vow to live in the forest, he must simply eat roots, tree trunks, fruits, dried leaves or whatever nature provides in that way. Prthu Maharaja strictly adopted these principles for living in the forest, and sometimes he ate nothing but dried leaves and drank nothing but a little water. Sometimes he lived on nothing but air, and sometimes he ate some fruit from the trees. In this way he lived in the forest and underwent severe austerity, especially in regards to eating. In other words, overeating is not at all recommended for one who wants to progress in spiritual life. Sri Rupa Gosvami also warns that too much eating and too much endeavor (atyaharah prayasas ca) are against the principles by which one can advance in spiritual life. It is also notable that according to Vedic injunction, to live in the forest is to live in the mode of complete goodness, whereas to live in the city is to live in the mode of passion, and to live in a brothel or drinking house is to live in the mode of ignorance. However, to live in a temple is to live in Vaikuntha, which is transcendental to all the modes of material nature. This Krsna consciousness movement affords one the opportunity to live in the temple of the Lord, which is as good as Vaikuntha. Consequently a Krsna conscious person does not need to go to the forest and artificially try to imitate Maharaja Prthu or the great sages and munis who used to live in the forest. Srila Rupa Gosvami, after retiring from his minister’s seat in the government, went to Vrndavana and lived beneath a tree, like Maharaja Prthu. Since then, many people have gone to Vrndavana to imitate Rupa Gosvami’s behavior. Instead of advancing in spiritual life, many have fallen into material habits and even in Vrndavana have become victims of illicit sex, gambling and intoxication. The Krsna consciousness movement has been introduced in the Western countries, but it is not possible for Westerners to go to the forest and practice the severe austerities which were ideally practiced by Prthu Maharaja or Rupa Gosvami. However, Westerners or anyone else can follow in the footsteps of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura by living in a temple, which is transcendental to residence in a forest, and to vow to accept krsna-prasada and nothing else, follow the regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds daily of the Hare Krsna mantra. In this way, one’s spiritual life will never be disturbed. SB4.23.6 TEXT 6 grisme panca-tapa viro varsasv asarasan munih akantha-magnah sisire udake sthandile-sayah SYNONYMS grisme—in the summer season; panca-tapah—five kinds of heating; virah—the hero; varsasu—in the rainy season; asarasat—being situated within the torrents of rain; munih—like the great sages; akantha—up to the neck; magnah—drowned; sisire—in winter; udake—within water; sthandile-sayah—lying down on the floor. TRANSLATION Following the principles of forest living and the footsteps of the great sages and munis, Prthu Maharaja accepted five kinds of heating processes during the summer season, exposed himself to torrents of rain in the rainy season and, in the winter, stood in water up to his neck. He also used to simply lie down on the floor to sleep. PURPORT These are some of the austerities executed by the jnanis and yogis, who cannot accept the process of bhakti-yoga. They must undergo such severe types of austerity in order to become purified from material contamination. panca-tapah refers to five kinds of heating processes. One is enjoined to sit within a circle of fire, with flames blazing from four sides and the sun blazing directly overhead. This is one kind of panca-tapah recommended for austerity. Similarly, in the rainy season one is enjoined to expose himself to torrents of rain and in winter to sit in cold water up to the neck. As far as bedding is concerned, the ascetic should be content with simply lying on the floor. The purpose for undergoing such severe austerities is to become a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, as explained in the next verse. SB4.23.7 TEXT 7 titiksur yata-vag danta urdhva-reta jitanilah ariradhayisuh krsnam acarat tapa uttamam SYNONYMS titiksuh—tolerating; yata—controlling; vak—words; dantah—controlling the senses; urdhva-retah—without discharge of semen; jita-anilah—controlling the life air; ariradhayisuh—simply desiring; krsnam—Lord Krsna; acarat—practice; tapah—austerities; uttamam—the best. TRANSLATION Maharaja Prthu underwent all these severe austerities in order to control his words and his senses, to refrain from discharging his semen and to control the life air within his body. All this he did for the satisfaction of Krsna. He had no other purpose. PURPORT In Kali-yuga the following is recommended: harer nama harer nama In order to be recognized by Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should chant the holy name of the Lord continuously, twenty-four hours a day. Unfortunate persons who cannot accept this formula prefer to execute some type of pseudomeditation, without accepting the other processes of austerity. The fact is, however, that one must accept either the severe method of austerity described above to become purified or take to the process of devotional service recommended for pleasing the Supreme Lord, Krsna. The person who is Krsna conscious is most intelligent because in Kali-yuga it is not at all possible to undergo such severe austerities. We need only follow great personalities like Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In His Siksastaka, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wrote, param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam: all glories to the holy names of Lord Krsna, which from the very beginning purify the heart and immediately liberate one. Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. If the real purpose of all yoga is to please Lord Krsna, then this simple bhakti-yoga system recommended for this age is sufficient. It is necessary, however, to engage constantly in the service of the Lord. Although Prthu Maharaja executed his austerities long before the appearance of Lord Krsna on this planet, his purpose was still to please Krsna. There are many fools who claim that worship of Krsna began only about five thousand years ago, after the appearance of Lord Krsna in India, but this is not a fact. Prthu Maharaja worshiped Krsna millions of years ago, for Prthu happened to be a descendant of the family of Maharaja Dhruva, who reigned for thirty-six thousand years during the Satya-yuga age. Unless his total life-span was one hundred thousand years, how could Dhruva Maharaja reign over the world for thirty-six thousand years? The point is that Krsna worship existed at the beginning of creation and has continued to exist throughout Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga and Dvapara-yuga, and now it is continuing in Kali-yuga. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, Krsna appears not only in this millennium of Brahma’s life, but in every millennium. Therefore worship of Krsna is conducted in all millenniums. It is not that Krsna worship began only when Krsna appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. This is a foolish conclusion that is not substantiated by Vedic literatures. Also of significance in this verse are the words ariradhayisuh krsnam acarat tapa uttamam. Maharaja Prthu underwent severe types of austerities for the express purpose of worshiping Krsna. Krsna is so kind, especially in this age, that He appears in the transcendental vibration of His holy name. As is said in the Narada-pancaratra, aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim. If Krsna is worshiped, if He is the goal of advancement, there is no need for one to execute severe types of tapasya, because one has already reached his destination. If, after executing all types of tapasya, one cannot reach Krsna, all his tapasya has no value, for without Krsna all austerity is simply wasted labor. Srama eva hi kevalam (Bhag. 1.2.8). We should therefore not be discouraged just because we cannot go to the forest and practice severe austerities. Our life is so short that we must strictly adhere to the principles laid down by the Vaisnava acaryas and peacefully execute Krsna consciousness. There is no need to become despondent. Narottama dasa Thakura recommends: anande bala hari, bhaja vrndavana, sri-guru-vaisnava-pade majaiya mana. For a transcendental, blissful life, chant the Hare Krsna mantra, come worship the holy place of Vrndavana, and always engage in the service of the Lord, of the spiritual master and of the Vaisnavas. This Krsna consciousness movement is therefore very safe and easy. We have only to execute the order of the Lord and fully surrender unto Him. We have only to execute the order of the spiritual master, preach Krsna consciousness and follow in the path of the Vaisnavas. The spiritual master represents both Lord Krsna and the Vaisnavas; therefore by following the instructions of the spiritual master and by chanting Hare Krsna, everything will be all right. SB4.23.8 TEXT 8 tena kramanusiddhena dhvasta-karma-malasayah pranayamaih sanniruddha- sad-vargas chinna-bandhanah SYNONYMS tena—thus by practicing such austerities; krama—gradually; anu—constantly; siddhena—by perfection; dhvasta—smashed; karma—fruitive activities; mala—dirty things; asayah—desire; prana-ayamaih—by practice of pranayama-yoga, breathing exercises; san—being; niruddha—stopped; sat-vargah—the mind and the senses; chinna-bandhanah—completely cut off from all bondage. TRANSLATION By thus practicing severe austerities, Maharaja Prthu gradually became steadfast in spiritual life and completely free of all desires for fruitive activities. He also practiced breathing exercises to control his mind and senses, and by such control he became completely free from all desires for fruitive activity. PURPORT The word pranayamaih is very important in this verse because the hatha-yogis and astanga-yogis practice pranayama, but generally they do not know the purpose behind it. The purpose of pranayama, or mystic yoga, is to stop the mind and senses from engaging in fruitive activities. The so-called yogis who practice in Western countries have no idea of this. The aim of pranayama is not to make the body strong and fit for working hard. The aim is worship of Krsna. In the previous verse it was specifically mentioned that whatever austerity, pranayama and mystic yoga practices Prthu Maharaja performed were performed for the sake of worshiping Krsna. Thus Prthu Maharaja serves as a perfect example for yogis also. Whatever he did, he did to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. The minds of those who are addicted to fruitive activity are always filled with unclean desires. Fruitive activities are symptomatic of our polluted desire to dominate material nature. As long as one continues to be subject to polluted desires, he has to accept one material body after another. So-called yogis, without knowledge of the real purpose of yoga, practice it in order to keep the body fit. Thus they engage themselves in fruitive activities, and thus they are bound by desire to accept another body. They are not aware that the ultimate goal of life is to approach Krsna. In order to save such yogis from wandering throughout the different species of life, the sastras warn that in this age such yogic practice is simply a waste of time. The only means of elevation is the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. King Prthu’s activities took place in Satya-yuga, and in this age this practice of yoga is misunderstood by fallen souls who are not capable of practicing anything. Consequently the sastras enjoin: kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. The conclusion is that unless the karmis, jnanis and yogis come to the point of devotional service to Lord Krsna, their so-called austerities and yoga have no value. Naradhitah: if Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is not worshiped, there is no point in practicing meditational yoga, performing karma-yoga or culturing empiric knowledge. As far as pranayama is concerned, chanting of the holy name of the Lord and dancing in ecstasy are also considered pranayama. In a previous verse, Sanat-kumara instructed Maharaja Prthu to engage constantly in the service of the Supreme Lord, Vasudeva: yat pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya Only by worshiping Vasudeva can one become free from the desires of fruitive activities. Outside of worshiping Vasudeva, the yogis and jnanis cannot attain freedom from such desires. tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo ’pi ruddha- Here the word pranayama does not refer to any ulterior motive. The actual aim is to strengthen the mind and senses in order to engage them in devotional service. In the present age this determination can be very easily acquired simply by chanting the holy names—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. SB4.23.9 TEXT 9 sanat-kumaro bhagavan yad ahadhyatmikam param yogam tenaiva purusam abhajat purusarsabhah SYNONYMS sanat-kumarah—Sanat-kumara; bhagavan—most powerful; yat—that which; aha—said; adhyatmikam—spiritual advancement of life; param—ultimate; yogam—mysticism; tena—by that; eva—certainly; purusam—the Supreme Person; abhajat—worshiped; purusa-rsabhah—the best of human beings. TRANSLATION Thus the best amongst human beings, Maharaja Prthu, followed that path of spiritual advancement which was advised by Sanat-kumara. That is to say, he worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. PURPORT In this verse it is clearly said that Maharaja Prthu, practicing the pranayama-yoga system, engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as advised by the saint Sanat-kumara. In this verse the words purusam abhajat purusarsabhah are significant: purusarsabha refers to Maharaja Prthu, the best amongst human beings, and purusam refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The conclusion is that the best man amongst all men engages in the service of the Supreme Person. One purusa is worshipable, and the other purusa is the worshiper. When the purusa who worships, the living entity, thinks of becoming one with the Supreme person, he simply becomes bewildered and falls into the darkness of ignorance. As stated by Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (2.12), all living entities assembled in the battlefield, as well as Krsna Himself, were also present in the past as individuals and would continue to be present in the future as individuals also. Therefore the two purusas, the living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, never lose their respective identities. Actually, one who is self-realized engages himself in the service of the Lord perpetually, both in this life and in the next. Indeed, for devotees there is no difference between this life and the next. In this life a neophyte devotee is trained to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in the next life he approaches that Supreme Person in Vaikuntha and renders the same devotional service. Even for the neophyte devotee, devotional service is considered brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. Devotional service to the Lord is never considered a material activity. Since he is acting on the brahma-bhuta platform, a devotee is already liberated. He therefore has no need to practice any other type of yoga in order to approach the brahma-bhuta stage. If the devotee adheres strictly to the orders of the spiritual master, follows the rules and regulations and chants the Hare Krsna mantra, it should be concluded that he is already at the brahma-bhuta stage, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26): mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena “One who is engaged in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.” SB4.23.10 TEXT 10 bhagavad-dharminah sadhoh sraddhaya yatatah sada bhaktir bhagavati brahmany ananya-visayabhavat SYNONYMS bhagavat-dharminah—one who executes devotional service; sadhoh—of the devotee; sraddhaya—with faith; yatatah—endeavoring; sada—always; bhaktih—devotion; bhagavati—unto the Personality of Godhead; brahmani—the origin of impersonal Brahman; ananya-visaya—firmly fixed without deviation; abhavat—became. TRANSLATION Maharaja Prthu thus engaged completely in devotional service, executing the rules and regulations strictly according to principles, twenty-four hours daily. Thus his love and devotion unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, developed and became unflinching and fixed. PURPORT The word bhagavad-dharminah indicates that the religious process practiced by Maharaja Prthu was beyond all pretensions. As stated in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.2), dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ’tra: religious principles which are simply pretentious are actually nothing but cheating. Bhagavad-dharminah is described by Viraraghava Acarya as nivrtta-dharmena, which indicates that it cannot be contaminated by material aspiration. As described by Srila Rupa Gosvami: anyabhilasita-sunyam When one who is not inspired by material desires and is not contaminated by the processes of fruitive activity and empiric speculation fully engages in the favorable service of the Lord, his service is called bhagavad-dharma, or pure devotional service. In this verse the word brahmani does not refer to the impersonal Brahman. Impersonal Brahman is a subordinate feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and since impersonal Brahman worshipers desire to merge into the Brahman effulgence, they cannot be considered followers of bhagavad-dharma. After being baffled in his material enjoyment, the impersonalist may desire to merge into the existence of the Lord, but a pure devotee of the Lord has no such desire. Therefore a pure devotee is really bhagavad-dharmi. It is clear from this verse that Maharaja Prthu was never a worshiper of the impersonal Brahman but was at all times a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavati brahmani refers to one who is engaged in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. A devotee’s knowledge of the impersonal Brahman is automatically revealed, and he is not interested in merging into the impersonal Brahman. Maharaja Prthu’s activities in devotional service enabled him to become fixed and steady in the discharge of devotional activities without having to take recourse to karma, jnana or yoga. SB4.23.11 TEXT 11 tasyanaya bhagavatah parikarma-suddha- sattvatmanas tad-anusamsmarananupurtya jnanam viraktimad abhun nisitena yena ciccheda samsaya-padam nija-jiva-kosam SYNONYMS tasya—his; anaya—by this; bhagavatah—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parikarma—activities in devotional service; suddha—pure, transcendental; sattva—existence; atmanah—of the mind; tat—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anusamsmarana—constantly remembering; anupurtya—being perfectly done; jnanam—knowledge; virakti—nonattachment; mat—possessing; abhut—became manifested; nisitena—by sharpened activities; yena—by which; ciccheda—become separated; samsaya-padam—position of doubtfulness; nija—own; jiva-kosam—encagement of the living entity. TRANSLATION By regularly discharging devotional service, Prthu Maharaja became transcendental in mind and could therefore constantly think of the lotus feet of the Lord. Because of this, he became completely detached and attained perfect knowledge by which he could transcend all doubt. Thus he was freed from the clutches of false ego and the material conception of life. PURPORT In the Narada-pancaratra, devotional service to the Lord is likened unto a queen. When a queen gives an audience, many maidservants follow her. The maidservants of devotional service are material opulence, liberation and mystic powers. The karmis are very much attached to material enjoyment, the jnanis are very anxious to become freed from material clutches, and the yogis are very fond of attaining the eight kinds of mystic perfection. From the Narada-pancaratra we understand that if one attains the stage of pure devotional service, he also attains all the opulences derived from fruitive activities, empiric philosophical speculation and mystic yogic practice. Srila Bilvamangala Thakura therefore prayed in his Krsna-karnamrta: “My dear Lord, if I have unflinching devotion to You, You become manifest before me personally, and the results of fruitive activity and empiric philosophical speculation—namely religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation—become like personal attendants and remain standing before me as if awaiting my order.” The idea here is that the jnanis, by culture of brahma-vidya, spiritual knowledge, struggle very hard to get out of the clutches of material nature, but a devotee, by dint of his advancement in devotional service, automatically becomes detached from his material body. When the devotee’s spiritual body begins to manifest, he actually enters into his activities in transcendental life. At present we have contacted a material body, material mind and material intelligence, but when we become free from these material conditions, our spiritual body, spiritual mind and spiritual intelligence become manifest. In that transcendental state, a devotee attains all the benefits of karma, jnana and yoga. Although he never engages in fruitive activities or empiric speculation to attain mystic powers, automatically mystic powers appear in his service. A devotee does not want any kind of material opulence, but such opulence appears before him automatically. He does not have to endeavor for it. Because of his devotional service, he automatically becomes brahma-bhuta. As stated before, this is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26): mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena “One who is engaged in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.” Because of his regular discharge of devotional service, a devotee attains the transcendental stage of life. Since his mind is transcendentally situated, he cannot think of anything but the lotus feet of the Lord. This is the meaning of the word samsmarana-anupurtya. By constantly thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord, the devotee immediately becomes situated in suddha-sattva. Suddha-sattva refers to that platform which is above the modes of material nature, including the mode of goodness. In the material world, the mode of goodness is considered to be representative of the highest perfection, but one has to transcend this mode and come to the stage of suddha-sattva, or pure goodness, where the three qualities of material nature cannot act. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives the following example: If one has strong digestive power, after eating he automatically lights a fire within his stomach to digest everything and does not need to take medicine to aid his digestion. Similarly, the fire of devotional service is so strong that a devotee does not need to act separately to attain perfect knowledge or detachment from material attractions. A jnani may become detached from material attractions by prolonged discussions on subjects of knowledge and may in this way finally come to the brahma-bhuta stage, but a devotee does not have to undergo so much trouble. By virtue of his devotional service, he attains the brahma-bhuta stage without a doubt. The yogis and jnanis are always doubtful about their constitutional position; therefore they mistakenly think of becoming one with the Supreme. However, a devotee’s relationship with the Supreme becomes manifest beyond all doubt, and he immediately understands that his position is that of eternal servant of the Lord. Jnanis and yogis without devotion may think themselves liberated, but actually their intelligence is not as pure as that of a devotee. In other words, the jnanis and yogis cannot become factually liberated unless they become elevated to the position of devotees. aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah (Bhag. 10.2.32) The jnani and yogis may rise to the highest position, Brahman realization, but because of their lack of devotion unto the lotus feet of the Lord, they again fall down into material nature. Therefore jnana and yoga should not be accepted as the real processes for liberation. By discharging devotional service, Maharaja Prthu automatically transcended all these positions. Since Maharaja Prthu was a saktyavesa incarnation of the Supreme Lord, he did not have to act in any way to attain liberation. He came from the Vaikuntha world, or spiritual sky, in order to execute the will of the Supreme Lord on earth. Consequently he was to return home, back to Godhead, without having to execute jnana, yoga or karma. Although Prthu Maharaja was eternally a pure devotee of the Lord, he nonetheless adopted the process of devotional service in order to teach the people in general the proper process for executing the duties of life and ultimately returning home, back to Godhead.
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti santah
sroto-ganas tam aranam bhaja vasudevam
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah