Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order | Chapter 20: Lord Vishnu's Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena of Mahārāja Prithu |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.20.4
SYNONYMS
purushāh — persons; yadi — if; muhyanti — become bewildered; tvādriśāh — like you; deva — of the Supreme Lord; māyayā — by the energy; śramah — exertion; eva — certainly; param — only; jātah — produced; dīrghayā — for a long time; vriddha-sevayā — by serving the superiors.
TRANSLATION
If a personality like you, who are so much advanced because of executing the instructions of the previous ācāryas, is carried away by the influence of My material energy, then all your advancement may be considered simply a waste of time.
PURPORT
In this verse the word vriddha-sevayā is very significant. Vriddha means "old." Sevayā means "by service." Perfect knowledge is acquired from the ācāryas, or liberated souls. No one can be perfect in knowledge without being trained by the paramparā system. Prithu Mahārāja was completely trained in that line; therefore he did not deserve to be considered an ordinary man. An ordinary man, who has only a conception of bodily existence, is always bewildered by the modes of material nature.
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness