Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.8.64

nārada uvāca

rājan kiḿ dhyāyase dīrghaḿ

mukhena pariśuṣyatā

kiḿ vā na riṣyate kāmo

dharmo vārthena saḿyutaḥ

SYNONYMS

nāradaḥ uvāca — the great sage Nārada Muni said; rājan — my dear King; kim — what; dhyāyase — thinking of; dīrgham — very deeply; mukhena — with your face; pariśuṣyatā — as if drying up; kim vā — whether; na — not; riṣyate — been lost; kāmaḥ — sense gratification; dharmaḥ — religious rituals; vā — or; arthena — with economic development; saḿyutaḥ — along with.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Nārada inquired: My dear King, your face appears to be withering up, and you look like you have been thinking of something for a very long time. Why is that? Have you been hampered in following your path of religious rites, economic development and sense gratification?

PURPORT

The four stages of advancement of human civilisation are religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, for some, the stage of liberation. Nārada Muni did not inquire from the King about his liberation, but only regarding the state management, which is meant for advancement of the three principles religiosity, economic development and sense gratification. Since those who engage in such activities are not interested in liberation, Nārada did not inquire from the King about this. Liberation is meant for persons who have lost all interest in religious ritualistic ceremonies, economic development and sense gratification.

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