Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order | Chapter 30: The Activities of the Pracetas |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.1
SYNONYMS
vidurah uvaca -- Vidura said; ye -- those who; tvaya -- by you; abhihitah -- were spoken about; brahman -- O brahmana; sutah -- sons; pracinabarhishah -- of King Pracinabarhi; te -- all of them; rudra-gitena -- by the song composed by Lord Siva; harim -- the Lord; siddhim -- success; apuh -- achieved; pratoshya -- having satisfied; kam -- what.
TRANSLATION
Vidura inquired from Maitreya: O brahmana, you formerly spoke about the sons of Pracinabarhi and informed me that they satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead by chanting a song composed by Lord Siva. What did they achieve in this way?
PURPORT
In the beginning, Maitreya Rishi narrated the activities of the sons of Pracinabarhi. These sons went beside a great lake, which was like an ocean, and fortunately finding Lord Siva, they learned how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by chanting the songs composed by Lord Siva. Now their father's attachment for fruitive activities was disapproved by Narada, who therefore kindly instructed Pracinabarhi by telling him the allegorical story of Puranjana. Now Vidura again wanted to hear about Pracinabarhi's sons, and he was especially inquisitive to know what they achieved by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here the words siddhim apuh, or "achieved perfection," are very important. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita (7.3), manushyanam sahasreshu kascid yatati siddhaye: out of many, many millions of people, one may be interested in learning how to attain success in spiritual matters. The supreme success is mentioned also in Bhagavad-gita (8.15):
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
"After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection." And what is that highest perfection? That is also explained in that verse. The highest perfection is to return home, back to Godhead, so that one will not have to return to this material world and transmigrate from one body to another in the dream of material existence. By the grace of Lord Siva, the Pracetas actually attained perfection and returned home, back to Godhead, after enjoying material facilities to the highest extent. Maitreya will now narrate that to Vidura.
Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness