Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Chapter 22 - Prthu Maharaja's Meeting with the Four Kumaras
Pages in category "Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 04 Chapter 22 - Prthu Maharaja's Meeting with the Four Kumaras"
The following 72 pages are in this category, out of 72 total.
A
- A candidate for spiritual advancement must be nonviolent, must follow in the footsteps of great acaryas, must always remember the nectar of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and...
- A devotee should lead a very simple life and not be disturbed by the duality of opposing elements. He should learn to tolerate them
- A person who is not very rich and is attached to family life becomes highly glorified when saintly persons are present in his home
- After begetting five sons, named Vijitasva, Dhumrakesa, Haryaksa, Dravina and Vrka, Prthu Maharaja continued to rule the planet. He accepted all the qualities of the deities who governed all other planets
- After this, the King took the water which had washed the lotus feet of the Kumaras and sprinkled it over his hair. By such respectful actions, the King, as an exemplary personality, showed how to receive a spiritually advanced personality
- Although those who are nondevotees undergo severe austerities and penances to cross that ocean, we recommend that you simply take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, which are like boats for crossing the ocean
- Although you (the four Kumaras) are traveling in all planetary systems, people cannot know you, just as they cannot know the Supersoul, although He is within everyone's heart as the witness of everything
- Although you know everything, you ask such questions because that is the behavior of saintly persons. Such intelligence is befitting your position
- Amongst great personalities, Maharaja Prthu was the chief by virtue of his fixed position in relation to spiritual enlightenment. He remained satisfied as one who has achieved all success in spiritual understanding
- Any person upon whom the brahmanas and Vaisnavas are pleased can achieve anything which is very rare to obtain in this world as well as after death. Not only that, but one also receives the favor of the auspicious Lord Siva and Lord Visnu
- As far as his devotional service was concerned, he was a great follower of devotees who were attached to cow protection and the rendering of all service to the spiritual master and the brahmanas. He was perfect in his shyness and in his gentle behavior
- At that time the difference between the soul and the Supersoul, which was existing before self-realization, is annihilated. When a dream is over, there is no longer a distinction between the dream and the dreamer
- Attachment for the Supreme can be increased by practicing DS, inquiring about the SPG, applying bhakti-yoga in life, worshiping the Yogesvara, the SPG, and by hearing and chanting about the glories of the SPG. These actions are pious in themselves
B
- Being self-satisfied, Maharaja Prthu executed his duties as perfectly as possible according to the time and his situation, strength and financial position. His only aim in all his activities was to satisfy the Absolute Truth. In this way, he duly acted
- Being situated in the liberated position of devotional service, Prthu Maharaja not only performed all fruitive activities but also begot five sons by his wife, Arci. Indeed, all his sons were begotten according to his own desire
I
- I am completely assured that personalities like you are the only friends for persons who are blazing in the fire of material existence. I therefore ask you how in this material world we can very soon achieve the ultimate goal of life
- In his bodily beauty he was just like Cupid, and in his thoughtfulness he was like a lion. In his affection he was just like Svayambhuva Manu, and in his ability to control he was like Lord Brahma
- In his bodily strength and in the strength of his senses, Maharaja Prthu was as strong as the wind, which can go anywhere and everywhere. As far as his intolerance was concerned, he was just like the all-powerful Rudra expansion of Lord Siva, or Sadasiva
- In his personal behavior, Prthu Maharaja exhibited all good qualities, and in spiritual knowledge he was exactly like Brhaspati. In self-control he was like the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself
- It has been conclusively decided in the scriptures, after due consideration, that the ultimate goal for the welfare of human society is detachment from the bodily concept of life and increased and steadfast attachment for the Supreme Lord
M
- Maharaja Prthu became as celebrated a king as Soma-raja, the king of the moon. He was also powerful and exacting, just like the sun-god, who distributes heat and light and at the same time exacts all the planetary waters
- Maharaja Prthu completely dedicated himself to be an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, transcendental to material nature
- Maharaja Prthu was so strong and powerful that no one could disobey his orders any more than one could conquer fire itself. He was so strong that he was compared to Indra, the King of heaven, whose power is insuperable
- Maharaja Prthu's intelligence and education were exactly like that of Yamaraja, the superintendent of death. His opulence was comparable to the Himalaya Mountains, where all valuable jewels and metals are stocked
- Maharaja Prthu, who was very opulent due to the prosperity of his entire empire, remained at home as a householder. Since he was never inclined to utilize his opulences for the gratification of his senses, he remained unattached, exactly like the sun
- My dear brahmana, you have carried out the order thoroughly because you are also as compassionate as the Lord. It is my duty, therefore, to offer you something, but all I possess are but remnants of food taken by great saintly persons
- My dear sirs, there is no need to ask about your good and bad fortune because you are always absorbed in spiritual bliss. The mental concoction of the auspicious and inauspicious does not exist in you
O
- On the contrary, even though full of all opulence and material prosperity, any householder's house where the devotees of the Lord are never allowed to come in, and where there is no water for washing their feet, is to be considered a tree
- One has to make progress in spiritual life by not associating with persons who are simply interested in sense gratification and making money. Not only such persons, but one who associates with such persons should be avoided
- One should mold his life in such a way that he cannot live in peace without drinking the nectar of the glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. One can be thus elevated by being disgusted with the taste for sense enjoyment
- Only because of different causes does a person see a difference between himself and others, just as one sees the reflection of a body appearing differently manifested on water, on oil or in a mirror
- Out of the four principles - namely religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation - liberation has to be taken very seriously. The other three are subject to destruction by the stringent law of nature - death
P
- Prthu Maharaja continued: How can such persons, who have rendered unlimited service by explaining the path of self-realization in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, be repaid except by folded palms containing water for their satisfaction?
- Prthu Maharaja inquired from the sages about persons entangled in this dangerous material existence because of their previous actions; could such persons, whose only aim is sense gratification, be blessed with any good fortune?
- Prthu welcomed the four Kumaras, saying: From the beginning of your birth you strictly observed the vows of celibacy, and although you are experienced in the path of liberation, you are keeping yourselves just like small children
S
- Sanat-kumara advised the King: Therefore, my dear King Prthu, try to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is living within everyone's heart along with the individual soul, in each and every body, either moving or not moving
- Sanat-kumara said: My dear King Prthu, I am very nicely questioned by you. Such questions are beneficial for all living entities, especially because they are raised by you, who are always thinking of the good of others
- Seeing the four Kumaras, Prthu Maharaja was greatly anxious to receive them. Therefore the King, with all his officers, very hastily got up, as anxiously as a conditioned soul whose senses are immediately attracted by the modes of material nature
- Seeing the glowing effulgence of the four Kumaras, the masters of all mystic Power, the King (Prthu) and his associates could recognize them as they descended from the sky
- Since Maharaja Prthu was a perfect devotee of the SPG, he wanted to protect the Lord's creation by pleasing the various citizens according to their various desires. Therefore Prthu Maharaja used to please them in all respects by his words
- Since only a person who is completely educated according to the principles of Vedic knowledge deserves to be commander-in-chief, ruler of the state, the first to chastise and the proprietor of the whole planet
T
- The devotee should gradually increase the culture of devotional service by constant hearing of the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The devotees, who are always engaged in the service of the toes of the lotus feet of the Lord, can very easily overcome hard-knotted desires for fruitive activities
- The four great sages were elder to Lord Siva, and when they were seated on the golden throne, they appeared just like fire blazing on an altar. Maharaja Prthu, out of his great gentleness & respect for them, began to speak with great restraint as follows
- The great sage Maitreya continued: Being thus enlightened in complete spiritual knowledge by the son of Brahma - one of the Kumaras, who was complete in spiritual knowledge - the King worshiped them in the following words
- The great sage Maitreya continued: Being thus worshiped by Maharaja Prthu, the four Kumaras, who were masters of devotional service, became very pleased. Indeed, they appeared in the sky and praised the character of the King, and everyone observed them
- The great sage Maitreya continued: Thus Sanat-kumara, the best of the celibates, after hearing the speech of Prthu, which was meaningful, appropriate, full of precise words & very sweet to hear, smiled with full satisfaction and began to speak as follows
- The great sage Maitreya said: While the citizens were thus praying to the most powerful King Prthu, the four Kumaras, who were as bright as the sun, arrived on the spot
- The King continued: Therefore, my dear brahmanas, my life, wife, children, home, furniture and household paraphernalia, my kingdom, strength, land and especially my treasury are all offered unto you
- The King said: O brahmana, O powerful one, formerly Lord Visnu showed me His causeless mercy, indicating that you would come to my house, and to confirm that blessing, you have all come
- The ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras eat their food by virtue of the brahmanas' mercy. It is the brahmanas who enjoy their own property, clothe themselves with their own property and give charity with their own property
- The master and servants who are engaged in offering the exalted visitors water, a sitting place and paraphernalia for reception are glorified, and the home itself is also glorified
- The SPG manifests Himself as one with the cause & effect within this body, but one who has transcended the illusory energy by deliberate consideration, can understand that the Paramatma is eternally transcendental to the material creation
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is always anxious to elevate the living entities, who are His parts and parcels, and for their special benefit, the Lord travels all over the world in the form of self-realized persons like you
- There is no stronger obstruction to one's self-interest than thinking other subject matters to be more pleasing than one's self-realization
- These pastimes are like ornamental decorations on the ears of devotees. By rendering devotional service and transcending the material qualities, one can easily be fixed in transcendence in the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Those who strongly desire to cross the ocean of nescience must not associate with the modes of ignorance, for hedonistic activities are the greatest obstructions to realization of religious principles, economic development, regulated sense gratification
- Throughout the whole universe - in the higher, lower and middle planetary systems - Prthu Maharaja's reputation was loudly declared, and all ladies and saintly persons heard his glories, which were as sweet as the glories of Lord Ramacandra
W
- We accept as blessings different states of higher life, distinguishing them from lower states of life, but we should know that such distinctions exist only in relation to the interchange of the modes of material nature
- When a person becomes devoid of all material desires and liberated from all material qualities, he transcends distinctions between actions executed externally and internally
- When one deviates from his original consciousness, he loses the capacity to remember his previous position or recognize his present one. When remembrance is lost, all knowledge acquired is based on a false foundation
- When one's mind and senses are attracted to sense objects for enjoyment, the mind becomes agitated. As a result of continually thinking of sense objects, one's real consciousness almost becomes lost
- When the great sages accepted their reception, according to the instructions of the sastras, and finally took their seats offered by the King, the King, influenced by the glories of the sages, immediately bowed down. Thus he worshiped the four Kumaras
- When the soul exists for sense gratification, he creates different desires, & for that reason he becomes subjected to designations. But when one is in the transcendental position, he is not interested in anything except fulfilling the desires of the Lord
- When there is a congregation of devotees, their discussions, questions and answers become conclusive to both the speaker and the audience. Thus such a meeting is beneficial for everyone's real happiness