Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.22.50

karmāni ca yathā-kālam

yathā-deśam yathā-balam

yathocitam yathā-vittam

akarod brahma-sāt-kritam

SYNONYMS

karmāni — activities; ca — also; yathā-kālam — befitting time and circumstances; yathā-deśam — befitting the place and situation; yathā-balam — befitting one's own strength; yathā-ucitam — as far as possible; yathā-vittam — as far as one can spend money in this connection; akarot — performed; brahma-sāt — in the Absolute Truth; kritam — did.

TRANSLATION

Being self-satisfied, Mahārāja Prithu 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.

PURPORT

Mahārāja Prithu was a responsible monarch, and he had to execute the duties of a kshatriya, a king and a devotee at the same time. Being perfect in the Lord's devotional service, he could execute his prescribed duties with complete perfection as befitted the time and circumstance and his financial strength and personal ability. In this regard, the word karmāni in this verse is significant. Prithu Mahārāja's activities were not ordinary, for they were in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has advised that things which are favorable to devotional service should not be rejected, nor should activity favorable for devotional service be considered ordinary work or fruitive activity. For example, an ordinary worker conducts business in order to earn money for his sense gratification. A devotee may perform the same work in exactly the same way, but his aim is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Consequently his activities are not ordinary.

Prithu Mahārāja's activities were therefore not ordinary but were all spiritual and transcendental, for his aim was to satisfy the Lord. Just as Arjuna, who was a warrior, had to fight to satisfy Krishna, Prithu Mahārāja performed his royal duties as king for the satisfaction of Krishna. Indeed, whatever he did as emperor of the whole world was perfectly befitting a pure devotee. It is therefore said by a Vaishnava poet, vaishnavera kriyāmudrā vijñe nā bujhāya: no one can understand the activities of a pure devotee. A pure devotee's activities may appear like ordinary activities, but behind them there is profound significance — the satisfaction of the Lord. In order to understand the activities of a Vaishnava, one has to become very expert. Mahārāja Prithu did not allow himself to function outside the institution of four varnas and four āśramas, although as a Vaishnava he was a paramahamsa, transcendental to all material activities. He remained at his position as a kshatriya to rule the world and at the same time remained transcendental to such activities by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Concealing himself as a pure devotee, he externally manifested himself as a very powerful and dutiful king. In other words, none of his activities were carried out for his own sense gratification; everything he did was meant for the satisfaction of the senses of the Lord. This is clearly explained in the next verse.

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