Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 4.15.24

mahad-gunan atmani kartum isah

kah stavakaih stavayate 'sato 'pi

te 'syabhavishyann iti vipralabdho

janavahasam kumatir na veda

SYNONYMS

mahat -- exalted; gunan -- the qualities; atmani -- in himself; kartum -- to manifest; isah -- competent; kah -- who; stavakaih -- by followers; stavayate -- causes to be praised; asatah -- not existing; api -- although; te -- they; asya -- of him; abhavishyan -- might have been; iti -- thus; vipralabdhah -- cheated; jana -- of people; avahasam -- insult; kumatih -- a fool; na -- does not; veda -- know.

TRANSLATION

How could an intelligent man competent enough to possess such exalted qualities allow his followers to praise him if he did not actually have them? Praising a man by saying that if he were educated he might have become a great scholar or great personality is nothing but a process of cheating. A foolish person who agrees to accept such praise does not know that such words simply insult him.

PURPORT

Prithu Maharaja was an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as Lord Brahma and other demigods had already testified when they had presented the King with many heavenly gifts. Because he had just been coronated, however, he could not manifest his godly qualities in action. Therefore he was not willing to accept the praise of the devotees. So-called incarnations of Godhead should therefore take lessons from the behavior of King Prithu. Demons without godly qualities should not accept false praise from their followers.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness