SB 4.18.4
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 4
- tān ātiṣṭhati yaḥ samyag
- upāyān pūrva-darśitān
- avaraḥ śraddhayopeta
- upeyān vindate 'ñjasā
SYNONYMS
tān — those; ātiṣṭhati — follows; yaḥ — anyone who; samyak — completely; upāyān — principles; pūrva — formerly; darśitān — instructed; avaraḥ — inexperienced; śraddhayā — with faith; upetaḥ — being situated; upeyān — the fruits of activities; vindate — enjoys; añjasā — very easily.
TRANSLATION
One who follows the principles and instructions enjoined by the great sages of the past can utilize these instructions for practical purposes. Such a person can very easily enjoy life and pleasures.
PURPORT
The Vedic principles (mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186)) urge us to follow in the footsteps of great liberated souls. In this way we can receive benefit in both this life and the next, and we can also improve our material life. By following the principles laid down by great sages and saints of the past, we can very easily understand the aim of all life. The word avaraḥ, meaning "inexperienced," is very significant in this verse. Every conditioned soul is inexperienced. Everyone is abodha jāta—born a fool and rascal. In democratic government at the present moment all kinds of fools and rascals are making decisions. But what can they do? What is the result of their legislation? They enact something today just to whimsically repeal it tomorrow. One political party utilizes a country for one purpose, and the next moment another political party forms a different type of government and nullifies all the laws and regulations. This process of chewing the chewed (punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30)) will never make human society happy. In order to make all human society happy and prosperous, we should accept the standard methods given by liberated persons.