SB 1.11.12 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 12
Sarva ritu sarva vibhava punya briksha lata ashramaih Udyana upavana aramair brita padmakara shriam.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Sarva—all, Ritu—season, Sarva—all, Vibhava—opulences, Punya—pious, Briksha—trees and creepers, Udyana—orchard, Upavana—flower gardens, Aramai—pleasure gardens and beautiful parks, Brita—surrounded by, Padmakara—the birth place of lotus or nice reservoirs of water, Shriam—increasing the beauty.
TRANSLATION
The city of Dwarka Puri was full of all opulences of all seasons. There were auspicious hermitages, orchards, flower gardens and parks as well as good reservoirs of water breeding places of lotus, all over the place.
PURPORT
Perfection of human civilization is made possible by utilising the gifts of nature in its own way. We find herewith in the description of the opulence of Dwarka Dhama as being well surrounded by flower gardens and fruit orchards along with reservoirs of water growing lotus. There is no mention of mills and factories supported by slaughter houses which are the necessary paraphernalia of modern metropolis. The propensity of utilising nature's own gifts is still there even in the heart of modern civilised men. The leaders of modern civilisation select their own residential quarters in a place where there is such natural beautiful gardens and reservoirs of water but they leave the common men to reside in congested area without any parks and gardens. Herein of course we find a different description of the city of Dwarka. It is under stood that the whole Dhama or residential quarter was surrounded by such gardens and parks with reservoirs of water where lotus grow. It is understood that all the people depended on nature's gifts of fruits and flowers without any industrial enterprises promoting filthy huts and slums for residential quarters of the common man. Advancement of civilization is estimated not on the growth of mills and factories to deteriorate the finer instincts of the human being, but it rests on developing the potent spiritual instincts of human being and giving chance to them for going back to Godhead. Development of factories and mills are called Ugra Karma or pungent activities and by such activities you can deteriorate the finer sentiments of the human being resulting in dragging the society to form a dungeon of the demons.
We find herein mention of pious trees are those which produce seasonal flowers and fruits. The impious trees are useless jungles only and they can only be used as the supplying agent of fuels only. In the modern civilization such impious trees are developed in the matter of sowing them on the sides of the road. Human energy should be properly utilised in developing the finer senses for spiritual understanding in which lies the solution of life. Fruits, flowers, beautiful gardens, parks and reservoirs of waters with ducks and swan playing in the midst of lotus flowers and cows giving sufficient milk and butter are essential things for developing the finer tissues of the human body. As against this the dungeons of mine, factories and workshop develop the demoniac propensities of the working class. The vested interest flourish at the cost of working class and later there is severe clash between them in so many ways. The description of Dwarka Dham is the ideal of human civilisation.