Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth OrderChapter 20: Lord Viṣṇu's Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena of Mahārāja Pṛthu

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.20.3

sudhiyaḥ sādhavo loke

naradeva narottamāḥ

nābhidruhyanti bhūtebhyo

yarhi nātmā kalevaram

SYNONYMS

su-dhiyaḥ — the most intelligent persons; sādhavaḥ — who are inclined to perform welfare activities; lokein this world; nara-devaO King; nara-uttamāḥ — the best of human beings; na abhidruhyanti — never become malicious; bhūtebhyaḥ — toward other living beings; yarhi — because; na — never; ātmā — the self or soul; kalevaram — this body.

TRANSLATION

O King, one who is advanced in intelligence and eager to perform welfare activities for others is considered best amongst human beings. An advanced human being is never malicious to others. Those with advanced intelligence are always conscious that this material body is different from the soul.

PURPORT

In daily life we find that when a madman commits murder, he is excused even by a high-court judge. The idea is that a living entity is always pure because he is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When he falls into the clutches of material energy, he becomes a victim of the three modes of material nature. Indeed, whatever he does, he does under the influence of material nature. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (5.14):

na kartṛtvaḿ na karmāṇi

lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ

na karma-phala-saḿyogaḿ

svabhāvas tu pravartate

"The embodied spirit, master of the city of his body, does not create activities, nor does he induce people to act, nor does he create the fruits of action. All this is enacted by the modes of material nature."

Actually the living entity, or soul, does not do anything; everything is done under the influence of the modes of material nature. When a man is diseased, the symptoms of the disease become a source of all kinds of pain. Those who are advanced in transcendental consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, are never envious, neither of the soul nor of the activities of the soul under the influence of material nature. Advanced transcendentalists are called sudhiyaḥ. Sudhī means "intelligence," sudhī means "highly advanced," and sudhī means "devotee." One who is both devoted and highly advanced in intelligence does not take action against the soul or the body. If there is any discrepancy, he forgives. It is said that forgiveness is a quality of those who are advancing in spiritual knowledge.

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