Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.4.18

bhagavatarshabhena parirakshyamāna etasmin varshe na kaścana purusho vāñchaty avidyamānam ivātmano 'nyasmāt kathañcana kimapi karhicid avekshate bhartary anusavanam vijrimbhita-snehātiśayam antarena

SYNONYMS

bhagavatā — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rishabhena — King Rishabha; parirakshyamāne — being protected; etasmin — on this; varshe — planet; na — not; kaścana — anyone; purushah — even a common man; vāñchati — desires; avidyamānam — not existing in reality; iva — as if; ātmanah — for himself; anyasmāt — from anyone else; kathañcana — by any means; kimapi — anything; karhicit — at any time; avekshate — does care to see; bhartari — toward the master; anusavanam — always; vijrimbhita — expanding; sneha-atiśayam — very great affection; antarena — within one's self.

TRANSLATION

No one likes to possess anything that is like a will-o'-the-wisp or a flower in the sky, for everyone knows very well that such things do not exist. When Lord Rishabhadeva ruled this planet of Bhāratavarsha, even common men did not want to ask for anything, at any time or by any means. No one ever asks for a will-o'-the-wisp. In other words, everyone was completely satisfied, and therefore there was no chance of anyone's asking for anything. The people were absorbed in great affection for the King. Since this affection was always expanding, they were not inclined to ask for anything.

PURPORT

In Bengal the word ghodā-dimba is used, which means "the egg of a horse." Since a horse never lays an egg, the word ghodā-dimba actually has no meaning. In Sanskrit there is a word kha-pushpa, which means "the flower in the sky." No flower grows in the sky; therefore no one is interested in asking for kha-pushpa or ghodā-dimba. During the reign of Mahārāja Rishabhadeva, people were so well equipped that they did not want to ask for anything. They were immensely supplied with all necessities for life due to King Rishabhadeva's good government. Consequently everyone felt full satisfaction and did not want anything. This is the perfection of government. If the citizens are unhappy due to bad government, the heads of government are condemned. During these democratic days, monarchy is disliked by the people, but here is an example of how an emperor of the whole world kept all the citizens fully satisfied by supplying the necessities of life and following the Vedic principles. Thus everyone was happy during the reign of Mahārāja Rishabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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