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2024-03-29, 10:15 AM |
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Chapter
22: Prithu Mahârâja's Meeting with the Four
Kumâras
(1) Maitreya said: 'As the citizens were thus
praying to the high and mighty King Prithu, four sages arrived there as bright as the sun. (2) The king and his associates could recognize the masters of yogic perfection that descended from
the
ethereal realm by the glaring
effulgence of their all-embracing sinlessness [: they were the four Kumâras]. (3) Seeing
the so
very desired life of peaceful conduct before them, King Prithu with his
followers jumped
to their feet as
if they were souls whose senses are ruled by the modes of nature. (4) After
they
accepting
that
[reverence]
had
taken
their
seats
he, humble
with the high civilization of their full glory,
bowed before them and was of worship the way it is prescribed with all
that belongs to it. (5) The water of washing their feet he sprinkled
on the tuft of his hair and thus he behaved like men of respect are
supposed to behave. (6) Seated
on
the
golden
throne the brothers
who were older than S'iva [see
3.12:
4-7] were like fire on
the altar and pleased with them, the king respectfully and with
restraint addressed them. (7)
Prithu said: 'To what do I owe the grace of your audience, of you who
are
fortune in person? It is an encounter that even for the greatest yogis
is difficult to achieve. (8)
He with whom the ones of learning [the brahmins and the Vaishnavas] are
pleased, can achieve whatever that is difficult to achieve in this
world or the hereafter, including the all-auspicious Lord S'iva and
Lord Vishnu who accompany them. (9)
Although you are traveling all the worlds, the people cannot
see
you, just as the ones causal
to the creation [S'iva and Brahmâ, compare 1.1:
1] cannot see the All-knowing witness
residing within
everyone. (10) Despite
of
being
not
that
rich,
those householders [may enjoy] the glory of most respectable saints
[like you], who with their home can offer water, a place to sit, servants, land and the master
of the
house himself. (11) But a
tree with venomous serpents are no doubt those houses that, abundant
with all wealth, are not [blessed] with the water that washed from the
feet of the great saints. (12) I welcome you, oh best of the
twice-born, you who move around like children and controlled by vows
with a great faith are motivated for liberation. (13)
Oh masters, can persons who,
having
fallen
into
this
material
existence,
are
stricken
with
the
illness
of
living
to
the
command
of their senses, all
by themselves find any good
fortune? (14) There
is no need to ask you about your well-being for you supreme souls
have no mind concerned with matters of good or bad fortune. (15) I
therefore am certain that you for us who
suffer the pains of a material existence, are
the friend to ask how one soon in this world may find salvation. (16) Manifesting as the supreme goal in life of
the transcendentalists the
Supreme Lord, the Unborn One in the form of the perfected ones moves
about on this
earth in order to show His
devotees His mercy.'
(17) Maitreya said: 'Hearing that
very substantial, appropriate, concise and sweet conclusion of Prithu,
the Kumâra satisfied with a smile replied as follows. (18) Sanat-kumâra
said:
'What
a
good
question
for
you
to
ask
my
dear
King,
oh
you who desires the
good of all living beings. Learned as you are, you nevertheless pose
this question. [This speaks for you] as someone whose intelligence
roots
in the mind of the
saintly ones. (19) An
association of devotees in
which there is discussion, questioning and answering is appreciated by
both the parties [of the saintly ones and their pious followers], and
real happiness for all will expand
from it. (20) Oh King, you are
evidently attached to the organized appreciation for the qualities of
the Lord His lotus feet. Difficult as it is, that will free the
indwelling soul,
given a steady practice, from the
dirt of the emotions of lust. (21) In
the scriptures is defended that
only the absence of attachment to other matters than the soul in
combination with an intense attachment for that True Self which is
transcendental
to the modes of nature, constitutes the perfect conviction for the
salvation of man. (22) That [is realized] when one as a dutiful devotee with faith and devotion, by
means of discussion and inquiry is spiritually united in one's
determination and with respect for the Lord of Yoga regularly attends
and listens to the
stories of the God-fearing ones. (23) Reluctant
to
associate with the rich and the ones who are after sense gratification
and not after the acquiring of goods as approved by them, one gets rid
of
the bad taste of the happiness that goes without drinking the nectar of
the qualities of the Self of the Supreme Personality. (24) With
nonviolence [as a
vegetarian], following in the footsteps of the
teachers of example, by remembering the Lord of Liberation, by
testifying of His activities, by the nectar of following according to
the yoga principles
without a material motive [yama] and by practicing in line with
the precepts [of niyama] one thus being without offenses, will
be living a
simple life with tolerance for the worldly dualities. (25) With
in one's ear constantly
the discussions in relation
to the transcendental qualities of the Lord it may be so that one, increasing in one's devotion and
consciousness, is of an uncontaminated existence in the material world
that is opposed to spiritual
understanding, for when one has realized that kind of listening, it is
easy to be attached to the
Spirit of Transcendence. (26) When
the
person in respect of the teacher of example is fixed in attachment to
the
Spiritual Supreme, the
impotence of
the heart [as
characterized by the five kles'as or
hindrances: ignorance, egoism, attachment, dislike and death-fear] that is situated within the covering of the
individual soul that consists of the five
elements, will
be burned by the
force of detachment and spiritual knowledge like fuel being burned by
fire. (27) With that immolation of the inner weakness being freed
from all the [associated] material qualities,
there is no difference as there was in the past between the inner
action
with the Supersoul and the outer action of the self. For such a one
that difference has ended just like a dream ends when one wakes up. (28) The
person sees of himself both the objects of his senses and his
transcendence [as the witness]. In that position he knows desires and
designations, but
without the two [not being innerly divided] that is not the case. (29) The
only reason that one sees differences
between oneself and something [or someone] else is that there are
different causes [for each
position] everywhere, just like
one has with a reflection that is different in
water and another medium [like a mirror]. (30)
Because the
mind is agitated by the senses that are drawn towards the
sense-objects, [the pure] consciousness [of one's intelligence] is
easily
lost, just like a lake that is overgrown with plants. (31) Scholars
of
the
soul
state
that
in
the
destructive
choking
of
one's
remembrance
the
constant mindfulness of one's consciousness is
destroyed and that the soul bereft
of real knowledge thus degrades [see B.G. 2: 62-63]. (32) In
this world there is nothing as bad as the obstruction of that
self-interest, in which other matters seem to be so much more
interesting than the realization of one's own self that one hinders. (33) When
one constantly thinks
for the
sake of riches and sensual pleasures all the [four] virtues of human
society are destroyed [the purushârthas]. Therefrom
bereft of knowledge
and devotional service, one lapses into the inertia of matter. (34) They
who want to cross over
that ocean quickly, should never cling to the slowness of matter, for
that is the great stumbling block
for the virtues of religiousness, economic development, regulation of
pleasures and salvation [dharma, artha,
kâma,
moksha]. (35) In
this respect liberation is likely to be there as the most important
one, because engaged in the interest of the other three paths one
regularly finds
oneself caught in the finality of things and in fear. (36) For
all those notions of a
higher or lower form of life there will never be any peace, for they depending upon the
interaction of the material modes are by the ordinance of the Lord [in the form of Time]
all destroyed. (37) Oh
best of kings,
be therefore just as I am persuaded of Him the Supreme Lord who from within the heart everywhere manifests by
dominating
as
the
Master
of
the
Field
radiating
into
every
hair
follicle
and who for all
the moving or nonmoving living beings covered by a body endowed with
senses and a life-breath, is there for the consideration of
self-realization. (38) Surrender
yourself
unto
Him
the root cause manifesting
as the truth within the untruth. By this
deliberate consideration one is freed from the illusions of an
intelligence that wonders whether one deals with a rope or a snake.
Thus one is situated in the eternal liberation of the uncontaminated,
pure
truth of the original nature transcendental to all the impurities of
one's karmic [fruitive] activities.
(39) Be unto Him, Vâsudeva, of devotion like the
devotees who find Him, whose
lotus toes bring them joy, worthy
to
take
shelter
of.
By
devotional
service
the
hard
knot
of
karmic
desire
is uprooted, but that is never so with
people
missing that respect, however hard they try to stop the waves of
sense enjoyment. (40) In this material ocean the hardship of the
non-devotees is great with the sharks of the six senses. They cannot cross the ocean without much
difficulties and therefore you
should make the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
your boat for passing that unconquerable expanse.'
(41) Maitreya said: 'The king thus by the son of
Brahmâ, the Kumâra who was so well versed in
spiritual knowledge, in full being informed about the ins and outs of
spiritual advancement, praised him and then spoke. (42) The
king said: 'In order to
confirm
what the Lord has promised [in 4.20:
15], He who from His causeless mercy is so
compassionate with the ones in
distress, you have all oh brahmins,
oh powerful ones, arrived here. (43) With
you also doing what could be expected from
the most compassionate representatives of the Lord, is all that I
have to offer, the remnants of the offerings to the
saints! What should I give from my side? (44) My
life, wife and children, oh
brahmins, my home with everything belonging to it, my kingdom, power,
land and treasury, I thus all offer to you. (45)
The post as the commander in chief and ruler over the kingdom, the
scepter of authority and the complete dominion over the planet are no
doubt only reserved for those who know the purport of the Vedas. (46) The kshatriyas
[the
rulers]
and the other departments of society all eat by the mercy of the
brahmins who enjoy their own clothing, their own
food and their own donations in charity. (47) You from your
kind of spiritual understanding
of progressing with the Fortunate One, have in your compassion
explained to us the Vedic evidence as discussed. May you ever be
pleased with
your own actions of mercy! Who could ever repay you with anything but
offering water to you with cupped hands?'
(48) Maitreya said: 'After the masters of
self-realization had been worshiped by the original king they praised
his character and, before the eyes of all the people, rose to the
sky. (49) The son of Vena, the first among the
great
personalities, who according to the teachings fixed in the self had arrived at self-realization, considered himself as someone who had
achieved what he desired. (50) In his
actions for the sake of the
Absolute Truth engaging as good
as possible according to the time, the circumstances and
his capacity, he did whatever he could as far as his means
would allow. (51) Fully
dedicated to the
Supreme Spirit
he free from attachments being of renunciation always thought of the
superintendent of all actions, the Supersoul
transcendental to material nature. (52) Even though he lived at home he never
felt attracted to all the opulence of his mighty kingdom nor did he
indulge in sensual pleasures, as much as the sun [never responds to
what is lit]. (53) Thus
always practicing yoga he by his self-realization begot five sons in his wife Arci
who
were the way he wanted them. (54) Their names were Vijitâs'va,
Dhûmrakes'a, Haryaksha, Dravina and Vrika. With them Prithu [by his
authority]
alone succeeded in incorporating all the qualities of all local deities. (55) In
his personal surrender to the Infallible One he, for the protection of
the created universe, pleased the
citizens during his time with the qualities of his kind-hearted words
and actions. (56) The
king thus was known as the King of the Moon, while he on the other hand
was like the Sun god in his distributing, exacting and ruling over the wealth of the world. (57) In
his exercise of power he was as
unconquerable as fire, he was as insuperable as the King of Heaven, as
tolerant as the earth itself and alike heaven in fulfilling all desires
of human society. (58) He used to please as bountiful as the rain
that pours as much as one likes, he was as unfathomable as
the
sea and
occupied his position alike the King of the Hills [mount Meru]. (59) He
was like the King of Righteousness
[Yamarâja] in his education, he was alike the
Himalayas in his opulence [because
of the minerals and jewels], he was like Kuvera in keeping the wealth
and alike Varuna [the ruler of the waters] in his secrecy. (60) He
was as all-pervading as the air
[the wind] and of a likewise physical strength, courage and power, and
he was as
unforbidding as the most
powerful demigod Rudra [the Lord of the Ghosts, S'iva]. (61) He was as beautiful as Cupid, as thoughtful
as the
Lion, the King of the Animals, in his affection he was alike
Svâyambhuva Manu and in matters of controlling the people he
resembled the Unborn Lord, Brahmâ. (62) He
understood spiritual matters alike Brihaspati, in his personal self-control
he was alike
the Supreme Personality, in his devotion to the cows, the
spiritual master and the brahmins he was as the Vaishnavas, the
followers of Vishnu, in his shyness he was the most gentle one and in
matters of philanthropy he was [as caring] as he was for himself. (63) All
over
the three worlds the general
public loudly declared
- and surely all the lovers of truth and the women from everywhere came
to hear about it - that his name and fame was as great as of
Râmacandra
[the
Vishnu-avatâra].'
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