SB 1.12.4 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 4
Sri Suta Uvacha: Apipalat dharmarajah pitribat ranjayan prajah. Nisprihah sarva kamebhyah krishnapadanusevaya.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Sri Suta Uvacha—Sri Suta Goswami said, Apipalat—administered prosperity, Dharmarajah—King Yudisthir, Pitribat—exactly like father, Ranjayan—pleasing, Prajah—all those who took birth, Nisprihah—without any personal ambition, Sarva—all, Kamebhyah—from sense gratification, Krishnapada—the lotus feet of the Lord Sri Krishna, Anusevaya—by dint of rendering continuous service.
TRANSLATION
Emperor Yudhisthir administered the prosperity of all who took birth during his reign, exactly like the father, without any personal ambition and being freed from all sorts of sense gratifications on account of continuous service unto the Lotus Feet of the Lord Shri Krishna.
PURPORT
As mentioned in our introduction (First Volume page 3) "there is need of the science of Krishna in the human society for all suffering humanity of the world and we would simply request the leading personalities of all nations to take some information of the science of Krishna for their own good, for the good of the society and for the good of all people of the world"—so it is confirmed herein by the example of Maharaj Yudhisthir the personality of goodness. In India the people hanker after Ramrajya because the Personality of Godhead was the ideal King and all other Kings or Emperors in India who controlled over the destiny of world administration for the prosperity of every living being who took birth on the earth. Herein the word 'Prajah' is significant. The etymological import of the word is that which is born. On the earth there are many species of life from the aquatics up to the perfect human being and all of them are known as 'Prajas. Lord Brahma the creator of this particular universe is known as the Prajapati because He is the grand father of all who has taken birth. As such the Praja is used in a broader sense than it is now used. The King is meant for all living beings namely the aquatics, plants, trees, the reptiles, the birds, the animals and the man. Everyone of them is a part and parcel of the Supreme Lord (B.G. 14/4) and the King being representative of the Supreme Lord, he is duty-bound to give proper protection to everyone of them. It is not like the presidents and dictators of the demoralised system of administration where the lower animals are given no protection while the higher animals are given so called protection. But this is a great science which can be learnt only by one who has learnt the science of Krishna as already referred to above by us. By knowing the science of Krishna one can become the most perfect man of the world and without knowledge in this science one is spoiled of all his good qualifications and doctorate diplomas acquired by academic education. Maharaj Yudhisthir knew this science of Krishna very well as it is stated here that by continuous cultivation of the science or by the continuous devotional service of the Lord Krishna he acquired the qualification of administering the state just like the father of all living beings never mind what it is. The father is sometimes seemingly cruel to the son but that does not mean that the father has lost the qualification of becoming the father. A father is always a father because he has always the good of the sons at heart. The father wants that everyone of his sons may become a better man than himself. Therefore, a King like a Maharaj Yudhisthir who is personality of goodness wanted that everyone of the living being under his administration specially the human beings who have better and developed consciousness must become a devotee of Lord Krishna so that everyone of them may become free from the trifles of material existence. His motto of administration was all good for the citizens but as personified goodness, he knew perfectly well what is actually good for them. He conducted the administration on that principle and not on the Rakshasi or demoniac principle of sense gratification. As ideal King he had no personal ambition and there was no place for sense gratification because his every sense at all times was engaged in the loving service of the Supreme Lord which includes the partial service to the living beings who form the parts and parcels of the complete whole. Those who are busy to render service to the parts and parcels, leaving aside the whole, they can serve only by spoiling of time and energy as one does it in the matter of watering the leaves of the tree without any care for the root. If water is poured on the root the leaves are enlivened perfectly and automatically; but if water is poured on the leaves only the whole energy is spoiled. Maharaj Yudhisthir, therefore, was constantly engaged in the service of the Lord and thus the parts and parcels of the Lord the living beings under his careful administration, were perfectly ministered with all comforts of this life and all progress for the next. That is the way of perfect management of state administration.