SB 1.9.9 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 9
Tan sametan mahabhagan upalbhya vasuttamah. Pujayamasa dharmajna desa kala bibhagabit
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Tan—all of them, Sametam—assembled together, Mahahhagan—all greatly powerful, Upalabhya—having received, Vasuttama—the best amongst the Vasus, (Bhimadeva) Pujayamasa—welcomed, Dharmajana—one who knows religious principles, Desa—place, Kala time, Bibhagabit—one who knows adjustment of place and time.
TRANSLATION
Bhishmadeva who was the best amongst the Eight Vasus, received and welcomed all the assembled greatly powerful Rishis because he knew perfectly well the religious principles adjusting them in terms of place and time.
PURPORT
Expert religionist knows it perfectly well how to adjust religious principles in terms of time and place. All the great Acharyas or religious preachers or reformers of the world, executed their mission by adjustment of religious principles in terms of time and place. There are different climate and situations in different parts of the world and if one has to discharge his duties in terms of preaching the message of the Lord, he must be expert in adjusting things in terms of the time and place. Bhismadeva was one of the twelve great authorities of preaching this cult of devotional service and therefore he could receive and welcome all the powerful sages from all parts of the universe assembled there at the death-bed side of Bhismadeva. He was certainly unable at that time to welcome and receive them physically because he was neither at his home nor in normal condition of healthy body. But he was quite fit by the activities of his sound mind and therefore he could utter sweet words with hearty expression of thoughts and all of them were justly received by his perfect ejaculation. One can perform one's duty by physical work, by mind and by words. And he knew well how to utilise them in proper place and therefore there was no difficulty for him to receive them although physically unfit.