SB 4.23.37
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 37
- muktānya-saṅgo bhagavaty
- amalāṁ bhaktim udvahan
- vainyasya caritaṁ puṇyaṁ
- śṛṇuyāc chrāvayet paṭhet
SYNONYMS
mukta-anya-saṅgaḥ — being freed from all material contamination; bhagavati — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; amalām — unalloyed; bhaktim — devotional service; udvahan — carrying out; vainyasya — of the son of Mahārāja Vena; caritam — character; puṇyam — pious; śṛṇuyāt — must hear; śrāvayet — must induce others to hear; paṭhet — and go on reading.
TRANSLATION
A pure devotee who is executing the different processes of devotional service may be situated in the transcendental position, being completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but even he, while discharging devotional service, must hear, read and induce others to hear about the character and life of Pṛthu Mahārāja.
PURPORT
There is a type of neophyte devotee who is very anxious to hear about the pastimes of the Lord, especially the rāsa-līlā chapters in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Such a devotee should know by this instruction that the pastimes of Pṛthu Mahārāja are nondifferent from the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. An ideal king, Pṛthu Mahārāja exhibited all talents in showing how to rule the citizens, how to educate them, how to develop the state economically, how to fight enemies, how to perform great sacrifices (yajñas), etc. Thus it is recommended for the sahajiyā, or the neophyte devotee, to hear, chant and get others to hear about the activities of Pṛthu Mahārāja, even though one may think himself to be in the transcendental position of advanced devotional service.