SB 1.4.12 (1962)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 12
Shivaya lokasya bhavaya bhutayae ya uttamasloka parayana
Janah jivanti na atmartham parashrayam mumocha nirvidya kutah kalevaram
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Shivaya—welfare, Lokasya—of all living beings, Bhavaya—for flourishing, Bhutaye—for the matter of economic development, Ya—one who is, Uttamaslokaparayan—devoted to the cause of the Personality of Godhead, Janah—men, Jivanti—do live, Na—but not, Atmartham—selfish interest, Parashryam—shelter for others, Mumocha—gave up, Nirvidya—being freed from all attachment, Kutoh—for what reason, Kalevaram—mortal body.
TRANSLATION
Those who are devoted to the cause of the Personality of Godhead, live only for the welfare, development and happiness of others. They do not live for any selfish interest. So even though the emperor was free from all attachment for worldly possessions how could he give up his mortal body which was the shelter for all others?
PURPORT
Parikshit Maharaj is an ideal king and householder because he was a devotee of the Personality of Godhead. A devotee of the Lord has automatically all the good qualifications desirable. And the Emperor was a typical example for this. Personally he had no attachment for all worldly opulences in his possession. But as he was a king for the all-round welfare of the citizens he was always busy in the welfare work of the public not only for this life but also for the next. He would not allow to maintain slaughter houses of killing cows and thus satisfy the citizens. He was not a foolish and partial administrator so that he would arrange for the protection of a class of living being and he would allow the other section to be killed. Because he was the devotee of the Lord he knew perfectly well how to conduct the administration for every one's happiness both men, animal, plants and all leaving creatures. He was not selfishly interested. Selfishness is displayed either self centered or self extended. He was neither of them. His interest was to please the Supreme Truth Personality of Godhead. The King is the representative of the Supreme Lord and as such the king's interest must be identical with that of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord wants that all living beings should be obedient to the Lord and thereby become happy. Therefore the Kings interest is to guide all subjects back to the kingdom of God and hence the activities of the citizens shall be so coordinated that they can at the end go back to home, back to Godhead. Under the administration of such representative king the kingdom is full of opulence. At that time the human being need not to take the animal food. There is ample food grains, milk, fruit and vegetables so that the human being as well as the animal all can take sumptuously and to their heart's content. All the living beings satisfied in the matter of food and shelter and conducted in terms of the prescribed rules, there cannot be any disturbance between one living with another. Emperor Parikshit was such a worthy king and therefore all were happy during his reign.