Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.20.26

yaśah śivam suśrava ārya-sańgame

yadricchayā copaśrinoti te sakrit

katham guna-jño viramed vinā paśum

śrīr yat pravavre guna-sańgrahecchayā

SYNONYMS

yaśah — glorification; śivam — all-auspicious; su-śravah — O highly glorified Lord; ārya-sańgame — in the association of advanced devotees; yadricchayā — somehow or other; ca — also; upaśrinoti — hears; te — Your; sakrit — even once; katham — how; guna-jñah — one who appreciates good qualities; viramet — can cease; vinā — unless; paśum — an animal; śrīh — the goddess of fortune; yat — which; pravavre — accepted; guna — Your qualities; sańgraha — to receive; icchayā — with a desire.

TRANSLATION

My dear highly glorified Lord, if one, in the association of pure devotees, hears even once the glories of Your activities, he does not, unless he is nothing but an animal, give up the association of devotees, for no intelligent person would be so careless as to leave their association. The perfection of chanting and hearing about Your glories was accepted even by the goddess of fortune, who desired to hear of Your unlimited activities and transcendental glories.

PURPORT

The association of devotees (ārya-sańgama) is the most important factor in this world. The word ārya refers to those who are advancing spiritually. In the history of the human race, the Āryan family is considered to be the most elevated community in the world because it adopts the Vedic civilization. The Āryan family is distributed all over the world and is known as Indo-Āryan. In prehistoric days all of the members of the Āryan family followed the Vedic principles, and therefore they became spiritually advanced. The kings, known as rājarshis, were so perfectly educated as kshatriyas, or protectors of the citizens, and so greatly advanced in spiritual life, that there was not a bit of trouble for the citizens.

The glorification of the Supreme Lord can be very much appreciated by the Āryan family. Although there is no bar for others, the members of the Āryan family very quickly catch the essence of spiritual life. How is it that we are finding it very easy to spread Krishna consciousness among the Europeans and Americans? History reports that the Americans and Europeans proved their capability when they were anxious to expand colonization, but at the present time, being contaminated by the advancement of material science, their sons and grandsons are turning into reprobates. This is due to their having lost their original spiritual culture, which is Vedic civilization. Presently these descendants of the Āryan family are taking this Krishna consciousness movement very seriously. Others who are associating with them and hearing the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra from the lips of pure devotees are also becoming captivated by the transcendental vibration. Transcendental vibrations are very much effective when chanted among Āryans, but even though one does not belong to the Āryan family, he will become a Vaishnava simply by hearing the mantra because the vibration has great influence over everyone.

Mahārāja Prithu points out that even the goddess of fortune, who is the constant companion of Lord Nārāyana, specifically wanted to hear about the Lord's glories, and for the association of the gopīs, who are pure devotees, the goddess of fortune, Lakshmī, underwent severe austerities. The impersonalist may ask why one should bother chanting the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra continually for so many years instead of stopping and trying for kaivalya, liberation, or merging into the existence of the Lord. In answer, Mahārāja Prithu maintains that the attraction of this chanting is so great that one cannot give up the process unless he is an animal. This is the case even if one comes in contact with this transcendental vibration by chance. Prithu Mahārāja is very emphatic in this connection — only an animal can give up the practice of chanting Hare Krishna. Those who are not animals but actually intelligent, advanced, human, civilized men cannot give up this practice of continually chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

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