SB 4.21.13
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 13
- ekadāsīn mahā-satra-
- dīkṣā tatra divaukasām
- samājo brahmarṣīṇāṁ ca
- rājarṣīṇāṁ ca sattama
SYNONYMS
ekadā — once upon a time; āsīt — took a vow; mahā-satra — great sacrifice; dīkṣā — initiation; tatra — in that function; diva-okasām — of the demigods; samājaḥ — assembly; brahma-ṛṣīṇām — of great saintly brāhmaṇas; ca — also; rāja-ṛṣīṇām — of great saintly kings; ca — also; sat-tama — the greatest of devotees.
TRANSLATION
Once upon a time King Pṛthu initiated the performance of a very great sacrifice in which great saintly sages, brāhmaṇas, demigods from higher planetary systems and great saintly kings known as rājarṣis all assembled together.
PURPORT
In this verse the most significant point is that although King Pṛthu's residential quarters were in India, between the rivers Ganges and Yamunā, the demigods also participated in the great sacrifice he performed. This indicates that formerly the demigods used to come to this planet. Similarly, great personalities like Arjuna, Yudhiṣṭhira and many others used to visit higher planetary systems. Thus there was interplanetary communication via suitable airplanes and space vehicles.