Maharaja Prithu's Instructions

Verse 1 (bhagavata.4.21.1)

मैत्रेय उवाच । मौक्तिकैः कुसुमस्रग्भिर् दुकूलैः स्वर्णतोरणैः । महासुरभिभिर्धूपैर् मण्डितं तत्र तत्र वै ॥ १ ॥

maitreya uvāca mauktikaiḥ kusuma-sragbhir dukūlaiḥ svarṇa-toraṇaiḥ mahā-surabhibhir dhūpair maṇḍitaṁ tatra tatra vai

Maitreya said: That city was adorned on every side with pearls, garlands of flowers, fine silk cloth, golden archways, and richly fragrant incense.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.4.21.2)

चन्दनागुरुतोयार्द्ररथ्याचत्वरमार्गवत् । पुष्पाक्षतफलैस्तोक्मैर्लाजैरर्चिर्भिरर्चितम् ॥ २ ॥

candanāguru-toyārdra- rathyā-catvara-mārgavat puṣpākṣata-phalais tokmair lājair arcirbhir arcitam

The lanes, crossroads, and streets were sprinkled with water scented with sandalwood and aguru, and honored with flowers, unbroken rice, fruits, tender shoots, parched grain, and rows of lamps.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.4.21.3)

सवृन्दैः कदलीस्तम्भैः पूगपोतैः परिष्कृतम् । तरुपल्लवमालाभिः सर्वतः समलङ्कृतम् ॥ ३ ॥

savṛndaiḥ kadalī-stambhaiḥ pūga-potaiḥ pariṣkṛtam taru-pallava-mālābhiḥ sarvataḥ samalaṅkṛtam

It was made elegant with clusters of banana-tree trunks and young betel-palm shoots, and beautifully adorned on every side with garlands of tender leaves.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.4.21.4)

प्रजास्तं दीपबलिभिः सम्भृताशेषमङ्गलैः । अभीयुर्मृष्टकन्याश्च मृष्टकुण्डलमण्डिताः ॥ ४ ॥

prajās taṁ dīpa-balibhiḥ sambhṛtāśeṣa-maṅgalaiḥ abhīyur mṛṣṭa-kanyāś ca mṛṣṭa-kuṇḍala-maṇḍitāḥ

The citizens came out to greet him, bearing lamps and offerings furnished with every auspicious article, and finely adorned maidens, decked with polished earrings, went out to welcome him too.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.4.21.5)

शङ्खदुन्दुभिघोषेण ब्रह्मघोषेण चर्त्विजाम् । विवेश भवनं वीरः स्तूयमानो गतस्मयः ॥ ५ ॥

śaṅkha-dundubhi-ghoṣeṇa brahma-ghoṣeṇa cartvijām viveśa bhavanaṁ vīraḥ stūyamāno gata-smayaḥ

To the sound of conches and kettledrums, and to the Vedic chanting of the priests, that hero entered his palace, praised on every side, yet untouched by any pride.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.4.21.6)

पूजितः पूजयामास तत्र तत्र महायशाः । पौराञ्जानपदांस्तांस्तान्प्रीतः प्रियवरप्रदः ॥ ६ ॥

pūjitaḥ pūjayām āsa tatra tatra mahā-yaśāḥ paurāñ jānapadāṁs tāṁs tān prītaḥ priya-vara-pradaḥ

Honored himself, that man of great renown in turn honored, here and there, all those city and country folk, pleased with them, and granted each their cherished boon.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.4.21.7)

स एवमादीन्यनवद्यचेष्टितः कर्माणि भूयांसि महान्महत्तमः । कुर्वन् शशासावनिमण्डलं यशः स्फीतं निधायारुरुहे परं पदम् ॥ ७ ॥

sa evam ādīny anavadya-ceṣṭitaḥ karmāṇi bhūyāṁsi mahān mahattamaḥ kurvan śaśāsāvani-maṇḍalaṁ yaśaḥ sphītaṁ nidhāyāruruhe paraṁ padam

Thus that greatest of the great, faultless in his conduct, performed these and many other deeds, ruled over the whole circle of the earth, and, having established a wide-spreading renown, at last ascended to the supreme abode.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.4.21.8)

सूत उवाच तदादिराजस्य यशो विजृम्भितं गुणैरशेषैर्गुणवत्सभाजितम् । क्षत्ता महाभागवतः सदस्पते कौषारविं प्राह गृणन्तमर्चयन् ॥ ८ ॥

sūta uvāca tad ādi-rājasya yaśo vijṛmbhitaṁ guṇair aśeṣair guṇavat-sabhājitam kṣattā mahā-bhāgavataḥ sadaspate kauṣāraviṁ prāha gṛṇantam arcayan

Suta said: O lord of this assembly, when the fame of that first of kings — magnified by every virtue and celebrated by the virtuous — had thus been recounted, Kshatta, Vidura, the great devotee, even as Maitreya spoke, honored him and addressed him as follows.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.4.21.9)

विदुर उवाच सोऽभिषिक्तः पृथुर्विप्रैर्लब्धाशेषसुरार्हणः । बिभ्रत् स वैष्णवं तेजो बाह्वोर्याभ्यां दुदोह गाम् ॥ ९ ॥

vidura uvāca so ’bhiṣiktaḥ pṛthur viprair labdhāśeṣa-surārhaṇaḥ bibhrat sa vaiṣṇavaṁ tejo bāhvor yābhyāṁ dudoha gām

Vidura said: Anointed by the brahmanas, having received tribute from all the gods, and bearing that very power of Vishnu, Prithu milked the earth with the strength of his own two arms.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.4.21.10)

को न्वस्य कीर्तिं न शृणोत्यभिज्ञो यद्विक्रमोच्छिष्टमशेषभूपाः । लोकाः सपाला उपजीवन्ति काम- मद्यापि तन्मे वद कर्म शुद्धम् ॥ १० ॥

ko nv asya kīrtiṁ na śṛṇoty abhijño yad-vikramocchiṣṭam aśeṣa-bhūpāḥ lokāḥ sa-pālā upajīvanti kāmam adyāpi tan me vada karma śuddham

What discerning person would not wish to hear his fame — he on whose valor's leavings all the kings and, indeed, all the worlds with their guardians still subsist even today? Tell me, then, as I desire, of his pure and pious deeds.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.4.21.11)

मैत्रेय उवाच गङ्गायमुनयोर्नद्योरन्तरा क्षेत्रमावसन् । आरब्धानेव बुभुजे भोगान् पुण्यजिहासया ॥ ११ ॥

maitreya uvāca gaṅgā-yamunayor nadyor antarā kṣetram āvasan ārabdhān eva bubhuje bhogān puṇya-jihāsayā

Maitreya said: Dwelling in the land between the rivers Ganga and Yamuna, he simply enjoyed the pleasures already set in motion by his past deeds, wishing thereby to exhaust his store of accumulated merit.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.4.21.12)

सर्वत्रास्खलितादेशः सप्तद्वीपैकदण्डधृक् । अन्यत्र ब्राह्मणकुलादन्यत्राच्युतगोत्रतः ॥ १२ ॥

sarvatrāskhalitādeśaḥ sapta-dvīpaika-daṇḍa-dhṛk anyatra brāhmaṇa-kulād anyatrācyuta-gotrataḥ

His command unhindered everywhere, he alone bore the scepter over all seven continents — except over the brahmana lineage, and except over the lineage of the infallible Lord, the Vaishnavas.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.4.21.13)

एकदासीन्महासत्रदीक्षा तत्र दिवौकसाम् । समाजो ब्रह्मर्षीणां च राजर्षीणां च सत्तम ॥ १३ ॥

ekadāsīn mahā-satra- dīkṣā tatra divaukasām samājo brahmarṣīṇāṁ ca rājarṣīṇāṁ ca sattama

O most excellent one, on one occasion there was, in that place, initiation into a great sacrificial rite, and a great assembly gathered — of the gods, the brahmarshis, and the royal sages.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.4.21.14)

तस्मिन्नर्हत्सु सर्वेषु स्वर्चितेषु यथार्हतः । उत्थितः सदसो मध्ये ताराणामुडुराडिव ॥ १४ ॥

tasminn arhatsu sarveṣu sv-arciteṣu yathārhataḥ utthitaḥ sadaso madhye tārāṇām uḍurāḍ iva

There, when all the worthy guests had been duly honored according to their rank, he rose up in the midst of the assembly, like the moon rising among the stars.

Verse 15 (bhagavata.4.21.15)

प्रांशुः पीनायतभुजो गौरः कञ्जारुणेक्षणः । सुनासः सुमुखः सौम्यः पीनांसः सुद्विजस्मितः ॥ १५ ॥

prāṁśuḥ pīnāyata-bhujo gauraḥ kañjāruṇekṣaṇaḥ sunāsaḥ sumukhaḥ saumyaḥ pīnāṁsaḥ sudvija-smitaḥ

He was tall, his arms full and long, fair of complexion, his eyes red as the lotus at dawn, with a shapely nose, a handsome face, a gentle bearing, broad shoulders, and a smile that showed his beautiful teeth.

Verse 16 (bhagavata.4.21.16)

व्यूढवक्षा बृहच्छ्रोणिर्वलिवल्गुदलोदरः । आवर्तनाभिरोजस्वी काञ्चनोरुरुदग्रपात् ॥ १६ ॥

vyūḍha-vakṣā bṛhac-chroṇir vali-valgu-dalodaraḥ āvarta-nābhir ojasvī kāñcanorur udagra-pāt

He had a broad chest, ample hips, a belly creased in lovely lines like a banyan leaf, a deep, whorled navel, vigorous frame, golden-hued thighs, and a high-arched foot.

Verse 17 (bhagavata.4.21.17)

सूक्ष्मवक्रासितस्निग्धमूर्धजः कम्बुकन्धरः । महाधने दुकूलाग्र्ये परिधायोपवीय च ॥ १७ ॥

sūkṣma-vakrāsita-snigdha- mūrdhajaḥ kambu-kandharaḥ mahā-dhane dukūlāgrye paridhāyopavīya ca

His hair was fine, curling, glossy black, his neck shaped like a conch; he was arrayed in a costly, exquisite silk garment, worn both wrapped below and draped above.

Verse 18 (bhagavata.4.21.18)

व्यञ्जिताशेषगात्रश्रीर्नियमे न्यस्तभूषणः । कृष्णाजिनधरः श्रीमान् कुशपाणिःकृतोचितः ॥ १८ ॥

vyañjitāśeṣa-gātra-śrīr niyame nyasta-bhūṣaṇaḥ kṛṣṇājina-dharaḥ śrīmān kuśa-pāṇiḥ kṛtocitaḥ

With his ornaments set aside for the sake of the vow, the full beauty of his limbs stood revealed; splendid, clad in a black antelope skin, kusha grass in hand, he stood arrayed as was fitting.

Verse 19 (bhagavata.4.21.19)

शिशिरस्निग्धताराक्षः समैक्षत समन्ततः । ऊचिवानिदमुर्वीशः सदः संहर्षयन्निव ॥ १९ ॥

śiśira-snigdha-tārākṣaḥ samaikṣata samantataḥ ūcivān idam urvīśaḥ sadaḥ saṁharṣayann iva

With eyes cool and gentle as the stars of a dewy night, that lord of the earth looked all around, and then, as though gladdening the whole assembly, he spoke these words.

Verse 20 (bhagavata.4.21.20)

चारु चित्रपदं श्लक्ष्णं मृष्टं गूढमविक्लवम् । सर्वेषामुपकारार्थं तदा अनुवदन्निव ॥ २० ॥

cāru citra-padaṁ ślakṣṇaṁ mṛṣṭaṁ gūḍham aviklavam sarveṣām upakārārthaṁ tadā anuvadann iva

Charming, marked by striking phrases, smooth, polished, profound, and unfaltering — as if simply repeating truths already known — he spoke thus for the benefit of all.

Verse 21 (bhagavata.4.21.21)

राजोवाच सभ्याः शृणुत भद्रं वः साधवो य इहागताः । सत्सु जिज्ञासुभिर्धर्ममावेद्यं स्वमनीषितम् ॥ २१ ॥

rājovāca sabhyāḥ śṛṇuta bhadraṁ vaḥ sādhavo ya ihāgatāḥ satsu jijñāsubhir dharmam āvedyaṁ sva-manīṣitam

The king said: Hear me, members of this assembly — may all be well with you, good souls gathered here. One who truly seeks the truth ought to declare his own considered view before the company of the virtuous.

Verse 22 (bhagavata.4.21.22)

अहं दण्डधरो राजा प्रजानामिह योजितः । रक्षिता वृत्तिदः स्वेषु सेतुषु स्थापिता पृथक् ॥ २२ ॥

ahaṁ daṇḍa-dharo rājā prajānām iha yojitaḥ rakṣitā vṛttidaḥ sveṣu setuṣu sthāpitā pṛthak

I have been appointed here as scepter-bearing king of the subjects — their protector and giver of livelihood — and set, individually, over their respective bounds of dharma.

Verse 23 (bhagavata.4.21.23)

तस्य मे तदनुष्ठानाद्यानाहुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः । लोकाः स्युः कामसन्दोहा यस्य तुष्यति दिष्टदृक् ॥ २३ ॥

tasya me tad-anuṣṭhānād yān āhur brahma-vādinaḥ lokāḥ syuḥ kāma-sandohā yasya tuṣyati diṣṭa-dṛk

By carrying out this duty of mine, may I attain those worlds, granters of every desire, of which the knowers of Brahman speak — worlds reached by one with whom the seer of destiny, the Lord, is pleased.

Verse 24 (bhagavata.4.21.24)

य उद्धरेत्करं राजा प्रजा धर्मेष्वशिक्षयन् । प्रजानां शमलं भुङ्क्ते भगं च स्वं जहाति सः ॥ २४ ॥

ya uddharet karaṁ rājā prajā dharmeṣv aśikṣayan prajānāṁ śamalaṁ bhuṅkte bhagaṁ ca svaṁ jahāti saḥ

A king who collects taxes without instructing his subjects in their proper duties eats the sin of his subjects and loses his own good fortune.

Verse 25 (bhagavata.4.21.25)

तत् प्रजा भर्तृपिण्डार्थं स्वार्थमेवानसूयवः । कुरुताधोक्षजधियस्तर्हि मेऽनुग्रहः कृतः ॥ २५ ॥

tat prajā bhartṛ-piṇḍārthaṁ svārtham evānasūyavaḥ kurutādhokṣaja-dhiyas tarhi me ’nugrahaḥ kṛtaḥ

Therefore, O subjects, free of malice, your minds fixed on Adhokshaja, act for your own true good — which serves also as an offering to your lord after death — and by this you will have shown me your grace.

Verse 26 (bhagavata.4.21.26)

यूयं तदनुमोदध्वं पितृदेवर्षयोऽमलाः । कर्तुः शास्तुरनुज्ञातुस्तुल्यं यत्प्रेत्य तत्फलम् ॥ २६ ॥

yūyaṁ tad anumodadhvaṁ pitṛ-devarṣayo ’malāḥ kartuḥ śāstur anujñātus tulyaṁ yat pretya tat phalam

You, O pure ancestors, gods, and sages, give your assent to this — for after death, the fruit of an action belongs equally to the one who does it, the one who orders it, and the one who permits it.

Verse 27 (bhagavata.4.21.27)

अस्ति यज्ञपतिर्नाम केषाञ्चिदर्हसत्तमाः । इहामुत्र च लक्ष्यन्ते ज्योत्स्नावत्यः क्वचिद्भुवः ॥ २७ ॥

asti yajña-patir nāma keṣāñcid arha-sattamāḥ ihāmutra ca lakṣyante jyotsnāvatyaḥ kvacid bhuvaḥ

O most worthy ones, there does indeed exist one called the Lord of sacrifice — for otherwise, how could it be that, both in this world and the next, certain regions are seen shining with radiant light?

Verse 28 (bhagavata.4.21.28)

मनोरुत्तानपादस्य ध्रुवस्यापि महीपतेः । प्रियव्रतस्य राजर्षेरङ्गस्यास्मत्पितुः पितुः ॥ २८ ॥

manor uttānapādasya dhruvasyāpi mahīpateḥ priyavratasya rājarṣer aṅgasyāsmat-pituḥ pituḥ

This is confirmed by the lives of Manu, of Uttanapada, of King Dhruva as well; of the royal sage Priyavrata, and of Anga, my own grandfather —

Verse 29 (bhagavata.4.21.29)

ईदृशानामथान्येषामजस्य च भवस्य च । प्रह्लादस्य बलेश्चापि कृत्यमस्ति गदाभृता ॥ २९ ॥

īdṛśānām athānyeṣām ajasya ca bhavasya ca prahlādasya baleś cāpi kṛtyam asti gadābhṛtā

— and of others like these, and of Aja, Brahma, and Bhava, Shiva, as well; and of Prahlada and Bali too — all of these have their bond with Him who bears the mace.

Verse 30 (bhagavata.4.21.30)

दौहित्रादीनृते मृत्योः शोच्यान् धर्मविमोहितान् । वर्गस्वर्गापवर्गाणां प्रायेणैकात्म्यहेतुना ॥ ३० ॥

dauhitrādīn ṛte mṛtyoḥ śocyān dharma-vimohitān varga-svargāpavargāṇāṁ prāyeṇaikātmya-hetunā

— setting aside pitiable men bewildered about dharma, such as the grandson of Death, my own father Vena — all these great souls agree that He is, almost without exception, the sole cause of virtue, of heaven, and of liberation, through singleness of devotion.

Verse 31 (bhagavata.4.21.31)

यत्पादसेवाभिरुचिस्तपस्विना- मशेषजन्मोपचितं मलं धियः । सद्यः क्षिणोत्यन्वहमेधती सती यथा पदाङ्गुष्ठविनिःसृता सरित् ॥ ३१ ॥

yat-pāda-sevābhirucis tapasvinām aśeṣa-janmopacitaṁ malaṁ dhiyaḥ sadyaḥ kṣiṇoty anvaham edhatī satī yathā padāṅguṣṭha-viniḥsṛtā sarit

A fondness for serving His feet, growing purer day by day, at once destroys the impurities of mind accumulated over countless births by ascetics — just as the river flowing from His very toe, the Ganges, grows ever purer as it flows.

Verse 32 (bhagavata.4.21.32)

विनिर्धुताशेषमनोमलः पुमा- नसङ्गविज्ञानविशेषवीर्यवान् । यदङ्घ्रिमूले कृतकेतनः पुन- र्न संसृतिं क्लेशवहां प्रपद्यते ॥ ३२ ॥

vinirdhutāśeṣa-mano-malaḥ pumān asaṅga-vijñāna-viśeṣa-vīryavān yad-aṅghri-mūle kṛta-ketanaḥ punar na saṁsṛtiṁ kleśa-vahāṁ prapadyate

A man whose every impurity of mind has been washed clean, made strong by the special knowledge that brings detachment, and who has made his dwelling at the very root of His feet, does not fall again into this suffering-laden cycle of rebirth.

Verse 33 (bhagavata.4.21.33)

तमेव यूयं भजतात्मवृत्तिभि- र्मनोवचःकायगुणैः स्वकर्मभिः । अमायिनः कामदुघाङ्घ्रिपङ्कजं यथाधिकारावसितार्थसिद्धयः ॥ ३३ ॥

tam eva yūyaṁ bhajatātma-vṛttibhir mano-vacaḥ-kāya-guṇaiḥ sva-karmabhiḥ amāyinaḥ kāma-dughāṅghri-paṅkajaṁ yathādhikārāvasitārtha-siddhayaḥ

Worship Him alone, therefore, through your own natural occupations, through the qualities of mind, speech, and body, and through your own appointed duties — worship the lotus feet, granter of every desire, of Him who is free of all illusion — so that, each according to his own station, you may attain the fulfillment you seek.

Verse 34 (bhagavata.4.21.34)

असाविहानेकगुणोऽगुणोऽध्वरः पृथग्विधद्रव्यगुणक्रियोक्तिभिः । सम्पद्यतेऽर्थाशयलिङ्गनामभि- र्विशुद्धविज्ञानघनः स्वरूपतः ॥ ३४ ॥

asāv ihāneka-guṇo ’guṇo ’dhvaraḥ pṛthag-vidha-dravya-guṇa-kriyoktibhiḥ sampadyate ’rthāśaya-liṅga-nāmabhir viśuddha-vijñāna-ghanaḥ svarūpataḥ

This sacrifice, though offered to Him who is beyond the material qualities, seems here to take on many forms, through various substances, qualities, rites, and formulas — while in His own true nature He remains a single mass of pure, undivided consciousness, manifest here through differing purposes, dispositions, symbols, and names.

Verse 35 (bhagavata.4.21.35)

प्रधानकालाशयधर्मसङ्ग्रहे शरीर एष प्रतिपद्य चेतनाम् । क्रियाफलत्वेन विभुर्विभाव्यते यथानलो दारुषु तद्गुणात्मकः ॥ ३५ ॥

pradhāna-kālāśaya-dharma-saṅgrahe śarīra eṣa pratipadya cetanām kriyā-phalatvena vibhur vibhāvyate yathānalo dāruṣu tad-guṇātmakaḥ

Entering into a body formed from primal matter, time, disposition, and past dharma, and there taking on consciousness, the all-pervading self is perceived only through the fruits of its actions — just as fire, taking on the qualities of the wood, appears differently within different pieces of firewood.

Verse 36 (bhagavata.4.21.36)

अहो ममामी वितरन्त्यनुग्रहं हरिं गुरुं यज्ञभुजामधीश्वरम् । स्वधर्मयोगेन यजन्ति मामका निरन्तरं क्षोणितले दृढव्रताः ॥ ३६ ॥

aho mamāmī vitaranty anugrahaṁ hariṁ guruṁ yajña-bhujām adhīśvaram sva-dharma-yogena yajanti māmakā nirantaraṁ kṣoṇi-tale dṛḍha-vratāḥ

Ah, these my subjects, steadfast in their vows, worship without pause, here on this earth, through the practice of their own dharma, Hari — teacher and supreme lord of all who partake of sacrifice — and in this very way they bestow their grace upon me.

Verse 37 (bhagavata.4.21.37)

मा जातु तेजः प्रभवेन्महर्द्धिभि- स्तितिक्षया तपसा विद्यया च । देदीप्यमानेऽजितदेवतानां कुले स्वयं राजकुलाद् द्विजानाम् ॥ ३७ ॥

mā jātu tejaḥ prabhaven maharddhibhis titikṣayā tapasā vidyayā ca dedīpyamāne ’jita-devatānāṁ kule svayaṁ rāja-kulād dvijānām

May the might of the royal line never assert its power against the brahmana lineage — a lineage shining of its own accord through patience, austerity, and learning, and on which the unconquered gods themselves depend.

Verse 38 (bhagavata.4.21.38)

ब्रह्मण्यदेवः पुरुषः पुरातनो नित्यं हरिर्यच्चरणाभिवन्दनात् । अवाप लक्ष्मीमनपायिनीं यशो जगत्पवित्रं च महत्तमाग्रणीः ॥ ३८ ॥

brahmaṇya-devaḥ puruṣaḥ purātano nityaṁ harir yac-caraṇābhivandanāt avāpa lakṣmīm anapāyinīṁ yaśo jagat-pavitraṁ ca mahattamāgraṇīḥ

That eternal, ancient Person, Hari, god of the brahmanas, foremost among the very greatest, gained undiminishing fortune and world-purifying fame precisely through his own repeated worship of their feet.

Verse 39 (bhagavata.4.21.39)

यत्सेवयाशेषगुहाशयः स्वराड् विप्रप्रियस्तुष्यति काममीश्वरः । तदेव तद्धर्मपरैर्विनीतैः सर्वात्मना ब्रह्मकुलं निषेव्यताम् ॥ ३९ ॥

yat-sevayāśeṣa-guhāśayaḥ sva-rāḍ vipra-priyas tuṣyati kāmam īśvaraḥ tad eva tad-dharma-parair vinītaiḥ sarvātmanā brahma-kulaṁ niṣevyatām

That very lineage, by serving which the self-ruling Lord, dwelling in every heart, beloved of the brahmanas, becomes fully satisfied — let that brahmana lineage be served, with one's whole being, by those humbled and devoted to its dharma.

Verse 40 (bhagavata.4.21.40)

पुमाँल्लभेतानतिवेलमात्मनः प्रसीदतोऽत्यन्तशमं स्वतः स्वयम् । यन्नित्यसम्बन्धनिषेवया ततः परं किमत्रास्ति मुखं हविर्भुजाम् ॥ ४० ॥

pumāḻ labhetānativelam ātmanaḥ prasīdato ’tyanta-śamaṁ svataḥ svayam yan-nitya-sambandha-niṣevayā tataḥ paraṁ kim atrāsti mukhaṁ havir-bhujām

A man attains, without measure, the utmost peace of a self at rest, spontaneously and of its own accord, through constant and devoted service to that bond — what, then, is higher than this? This service is itself the very mouth of the gods who partake of the sacrificial offering.

Verse 41 (bhagavata.4.21.41)

अश्नात्यनन्तः खलु तत्त्वकोविदैः श्रद्धाहुतं यन्मुख इज्यनामभिः । न वै तथा चेतनया बहिष्कृते हुताशने पारमहंस्यपर्यगुः ॥ ४१ ॥

aśnāty anantaḥ khalu tattva-kovidaiḥ śraddhā-hutaṁ yan-mukha ijya-nāmabhiḥ na vai tathā cetanayā bahiṣ-kṛte hutāśane pāramahaṁsya-paryaguḥ

The Infinite One indeed accepts what is offered with faith into that mouth by those versed in truth, offered under the names of the deities of sacrifice — not in the same way as through fire that is external and without consciousness; so the paramahamsas have concluded.

Verse 42 (bhagavata.4.21.42)

यद्ब्रह्म नित्यं विरजं सनातनं श्रद्धातपोमङ्गलमौनसंयमैः । समाधिना बिभ्रति हार्थदृष्टये यत्रेदमादर्श इवावभासते ॥ ४२ ॥

yad brahma nityaṁ virajaṁ sanātanaṁ śraddhā-tapo-maṅgala-mauna-saṁyamaiḥ samādhinā bibhrati hārtha-dṛṣṭaye yatredam ādarśa ivāvabhāsate

That eternal, stainless, ever-abiding Brahman, which they hold within through faith, austerity, auspicious observance, silence, and self-restraint, in deep meditation, for the sake of true insight — wherein this whole world shines forth as if reflected in a mirror.

Verse 43 (bhagavata.4.21.43)

तेषामहं पादसरोजरेणु- मार्या वहेयाधिकिरीटमायुः । यं नित्यदा बिभ्रत आशु पापं नश्यत्यमुं सर्वगुणा भजन्ति ॥ ४३ ॥

teṣām ahaṁ pāda-saroja-reṇum āryā vaheyādhi-kirīṭam āyuḥ yaṁ nityadā bibhrata āśu pāpaṁ naśyaty amuṁ sarva-guṇā bhajanti

May I, noble ones, carry forever upon my crown, for as long as I live, the dust of their lotus feet — for one who bears it constantly soon has his sin destroyed, and every good quality comes to attend upon him.

Verse 44 (bhagavata.4.21.44)

गुणायनं शीलधनं कृतज्ञं वृद्धाश्रयं संवृणतेऽनु सम्पदः । प्रसीदतां ब्रह्मकुलं गवां च जनार्दनः सानुचरश्च मह्यम् ॥ ४४ ॥

guṇāyanaṁ śīla-dhanaṁ kṛta-jñaṁ vṛddhāśrayaṁ saṁvṛṇate ’nu sampadaḥ prasīdatāṁ brahma-kulaṁ gavāṁ ca janārdanaḥ sānucaraś ca mahyam

Prosperity itself follows and comes to attend the one who is a vessel of virtue, whose only wealth is good character, who is grateful, and who takes shelter with his elders. May the brahmana lineage, and the cows, and Janardana together with His attendants, be pleased with me.

Verse 45 (bhagavata.4.21.45)

मैत्रेय उवाच इति ब्रुवाणं नृपतिं पितृदेवद्विजातयः । तुष्टुवुर्हृष्टमनसः साधुवादेन साधवः ॥ ४५ ॥

maitreya uvāca iti bruvāṇaṁ nṛpatiṁ pitṛ-deva-dvijātayaḥ tuṣṭuvur hṛṣṭa-manasaḥ sādhu-vādena sādhavaḥ

Maitreya said: As the king spoke in this way, the ancestors, gods, and brahmanas — those virtuous ones, their hearts gladdened — praised him with words of approval.

Verse 46 (bhagavata.4.21.46)

पुत्रेण जयते लोकानिति सत्यवती श्रुतिः । ब्रह्मदण्डहतः पापो यद्वेनोऽत्यतरत्तमः ॥ ४६ ॥

putreṇa jayate lokān iti satyavatī śrutiḥ brahma-daṇḍa-hataḥ pāpo yad veno ’tyatarat tamaḥ

'Through a son, one conquers higher worlds' — this Vedic saying has proved true, since sinful Vena, struck down though he was by the curse of the brahmanas, has still crossed beyond that darkness.

Verse 47 (bhagavata.4.21.47)

हिरण्यकशिपुश्चापि भगवन्निन्दया तमः । विविक्षुरत्यगात्सूनोः प्रह्लादस्यानुभावतः ॥ ४७ ॥

hiraṇyakaśipuś cāpi bhagavan-nindayā tamaḥ vivikṣur atyagāt sūnoḥ prahlādasyānubhāvataḥ

Hiranyakashipu too, though headed for darkness through his reviling of the Lord, crossed beyond it through the grace and power of his own son, Prahlada.

Verse 48 (bhagavata.4.21.48)

वीरवर्य पितः पृथ्व्याः समाः सञ्जीव शाश्वतीः । यस्येदृश्यच्युते भक्तिः सर्वलोकैकभर्तरि ॥ ४८ ॥

vīra-varya pitaḥ pṛthvyāḥ samāḥ sañjīva śāśvatīḥ yasyedṛśy acyute bhaktiḥ sarva-lokaika-bhartari

O foremost of heroes, father of the earth, may you live on through everlasting years — you whose devotion toward the infallible one, sole sustainer of all the worlds, is such as this.

Verse 49 (bhagavata.4.21.49)

अहो वयं ह्यद्य पवित्रकीर्ते त्वयैव नाथेन मुकुन्दनाथाः । य उत्तमश्लोकतमस्य विष्णो- र्ब्रह्मण्यदेवस्य कथां व्यनक्ति ॥ ४९ ॥

aho vayaṁ hy adya pavitra-kīrte tvayaiva nāthena mukunda-nāthāḥ ya uttamaślokatamasya viṣṇor brahmaṇya-devasya kathāṁ vyanakti

Ah, O you of purest fame, today, through you alone as our lord, we have Mukunda Himself as our true master — you who make plain the story of Vishnu, most glorified of all, the god of the brahmanas.

Verse 50 (bhagavata.4.21.50)

नात्यद्भुतमिदं नाथ तवाजीव्यानुशासनम् । प्रजानुरागो महतां प्रकृतिः करुणात्मनाम् ॥ ५० ॥

nātyadbhutam idaṁ nātha tavājīvyānuśāsanam prajānurāgo mahatāṁ prakṛtiḥ karuṇātmanām

O lord, this rule of yours, on which our very lives depend, is not, after all, so very astonishing — for love toward one's subjects is simply the nature of the great, of those whose hearts are made of compassion.

Verse 51 (bhagavata.4.21.51)

अद्य नस्तमसः पारस्त्वयोपासादितः प्रभो । भ्राम्यतां नष्टदृष्टीनां कर्मभिर्दैवसंज्ञितैः ॥ ५१ ॥

adya nas tamasaḥ pāras tvayopāsāditaḥ prabho bhrāmyatāṁ naṣṭa-dṛṣṭīnāṁ karmabhir daiva-saṁjñitaiḥ

O lord, today you have brought us — wandering, our sight lost, driven by deeds we call the workings of fate — across to the farther shore of darkness.

Verse 52 (bhagavata.4.21.52)

नमो विवृद्धसत्त्वाय पुरुषाय महीयसे । यो ब्रह्म क्षत्रमाविश्य बिभर्तीदं स्वतेजसा ॥ ५२ ॥

namo vivṛddha-sattvāya puruṣāya mahīyase yo brahma kṣatram āviśya bibhartīdaṁ sva-tejasā

Obeisance to you, person of ever-growing goodness, most exalted one, who, entering into both the brahmana and the kshatriya orders, sustains this whole world by your own inner power.