SB 6.5.25
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 25
- te ca pitrā samādiṣṭāḥ
- prajā-sarge dhṛta-vratāḥ
- nārāyaṇa-saro jagmur
- yatra siddhāḥ sva-pūrvajāḥ
SYNONYMS
te — these sons (the Savalāśvas); ca — and; pitrā — by their father; samādiṣṭāḥ — being ordered; prajā-sarge — in increasing progeny or population; dhṛta-vratāḥ — accepted vows; nārāyaṇa-saraḥ — the holy lake named Nārāyaṇa-saras; jagmuḥ — went to; yatra — where; siddhāḥ — perfected; sva-pūrva-jāḥ — their older brothers, who had previously gone there.
TRANSLATION
In accordance with their father's order to beget children, the second group of sons also went to Nārāyaṇa-saras, the same place where their brothers had previously attained perfection by following the instructions of Nārada. Undertaking great vows of austerity, the Savalāśvas remained at that holy place.
PURPORT
Prajāpati Dakṣa sent his second group of sons to the same place where his previous sons had attained perfection. He did not hesitate to send his second group of sons to the same place, although they too might become victims of Nārada's instructions. According to the Vedic culture, one should be trained in spiritual understanding as a brahmacārī before entering household life to beget children. This is the Vedic system. Thus Prajāpati Dakṣa sent his second group of sons for cultural improvement, despite the risk that because of the instructions of Nārada they might become as intelligent as their older brothers. As a dutiful father, he did not hesitate to allow his sons to receive cultural instructions concerning the perfection of life; he depended upon them to choose whether to return home, back to Godhead, or to rot in this material world in various species of life. In all circumstances, the duty of the father is to give cultural education to his sons, who must later decide which way to go. Responsible fathers should not hinder their sons who are making cultural advancement in association with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is not a father's duty. The duty of a father is to give his son complete freedom to make his choice after becoming spiritually advanced by following the instructions of the spiritual master.