Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.9.6

evaḿ sva-tanuja ātmany anurāgāveśita-cittaḥ śaucādhyayana-vrata-niyama-gurv-anala-śuśrūṣaṇādy-aupakurvāṇaka-karmāṇy anabhiyuktāny api samanuśiṣṭena bhāvyam ity asad-āgrahaḥ putram anuśāsya svayaḿ tāvad anadhigata-manorathaḥ kālenāpramattena svayaḿ gṛha eva pramatta upasaḿhṛtaḥ

SYNONYMS

evam — thus; sva — own; tanu-je — in his son, Jaḍa Bharata; ātmani — whom he considered to be himself; anurāga-āveśita-cittaḥ — the brāhmaṇa who was absorbed in love for his son; śauca — cleanliness; adhyayana — study of Vedic literature; vrata — accepting all the vows; niyama — regulative principles; guru — of the spiritual master; anala — of the fire; śuśrūṣaṇa-ādi — the service, etc.; aupakurvāṇaka — of the brahmacarya-āśrama; karmāṇi — all the activities; anabhiyuktāni api — although not liked by his son; samanuśiṣṭena — fully instructed; bhāvyam — should be; iti — thus; asat-āgrahaḥ — having unsuitable obstinacy; putram — his son; anuśāsya — instructing; svayam — himself; tāvat — in that way; anadhigata-manorathaḥ — not having fulfilled his desires; kālena — by the influence of time; apramattena — which is not forgetful; svayam — he himself; gṛhe — to his home; eva — certainly; pramattaḥ — being madly attached; upasaḿhṛtaḥ — died.

TRANSLATION

The brāhmaṇa father of Jaḍa Bharata considered his son his heart and soul, and therefore he was very much attached to him. He thought it wise to educate his son properly, and being absorbed in this unsuccessful endeavor, he tried to teach his son the rules and regulations of brahmacarya — including the execution of the Vedic vows, cleanliness, study of the Vedas, the regulative methods, service to the spiritual master and the method of offering a fire sacrifice. He tried his best to teach his son in this way, but all his endeavors failed. In his heart he hoped that his son would be a learned scholar, but all his attempts were unsuccessful. Like everyone, this brāhmaṇa was attached to his home, and he had forgotten that someday he would die. Death, however, was not forgetful. At the proper time, death appeared and took him away.

PURPORT

Those too attached to family life, who forget that death comes in the future to take them away, become attached and unable to finish their duty as human beings. The duty of human life is to solve all the problems of life, but instead people remain attached to family affairs and duties. Although they forget death, death will not forget them. Suddenly they will be kicked off the platform of a peaceful family life. One may forget that he has to die, but death never forgets. Death comes always at the right time. The brāhmaṇa father of Jaḍa Bharata wanted to teach his son the process of brahmacarya, but he was unsuccessful due to his son's unwillingness to undergo the process of Vedic advancement. Jaḍa Bharata was simply concerned with returning home, back to Godhead, by executing devotional service through śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. He did not care for the Vedic instructions of his father. When one is fully interested in the service of the Lord, he does not need to follow all the regulative principles enunciated in the Vedas. Of course, for an ordinary man, the Vedic principles are imperative. No one can avoid them. But when one has attained the perfection of devotional service, it is not very important to follow the Vedic principles. Lord Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to ascend to the platform of nistraiguṇya, the transcendental position above the Vedic principles.

traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā

nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna

nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho

niryoga-kṣema ātmavān

"The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self." (Bg. 2.45)

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