SB 1.12.24 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 24
Sarvasadgunamahatmye esha krishnam anubratah Rantideva iva oudarye yayatir iva dharmikah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Sarvasadgunamahatmye—glorfied by all godly attributes, Esha—this child, Krishnam—like Lord Krishna, Anubratah—follower of His footprints, Rantideva—a king of the name, Iva—like, Oudarye—in the matter of magnanimity, Yayatir—a king of the name, Iva—like, Dharmikah—in the matter of religiosity.
TRANSLATION
This child will almost be as good as Lord Shri Krishna by following His foot prints and by magnanimity he will become as good as king Rantideva while in religiosity he will be like Maharaj Yayati.
PURPORT
The last instruction of Lord Sri Krishna in the Bhagwat Geeta is that one should give up everything and should follow the foot prints of the Lord alone. Less intelligent persons do not agree to this great instruction of the Lord as ill luck would have it but one who is actually intelligent, catch up this sublime instruction of the Lord and is immensely benefitted by such abidance. Foolish people do not know that association is the cause of acquiring the quality of the person so associated. Association of fire makes the object heated even in the material sense. Therefore association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead makes one equally qualified like the Lord. As we have discussed previously, one can achieve seventy eight percent of Godly qualities by the Lord's intimate association. To follow the instruction of the Lord is to associate with the Lord. The Lord is not a material object that one has to feel His presence for such association. The Lord is present everywhere and at all times. It is quite possible to have His association simply by following His instruction because the Lord and His instruction, the Lord and His Name, Fame, Attributes and paraphernalia all are identical with Him being absolute knowledge. Maharaj Parikshit is associated with the Lord even from the womb of his mother upto the last day of his valuable life and as such he acquired all the essential good qualities of the Lord in all perfection.
Rantideva:- An ancient king prior to the Mahabharat period referred to by Narada Muni while instructing Sanjaya as mentioned in Mahabharat (Dronaparva 67 Ch) He was a great king liberal for hospitality and distribution of foodstuff. Even Lord Sri Krishna also eulogised his acts of charity and hospitality. He was blessed by the great Vasistha Muni for supplying him cold water and thus he achieved the heavenly planet. He used to supply fruits, roots and leaves to the Rishis and thus he was blessed by them for fulfilling his desires. Although a Kshatiriya by birth he never took flesh in his life. He was specially hospitable to Vasistha Muni and by his blessings only he attained higher planetary residence He is one of those pious kings whose names are remembered in the morning and evening.
Yayati: The great emperor of the world and the original forefather of all great nations of the world who belong to the Aryan and Indo-European stock. He is the son of Maharaj Nahusha and he became the emperor of the world on account of his elder brother becoming a great and liberated saintly mystic. He ruled over the world for several thousands of years and performed many sacrifices and pious activities recorded in the history although his early youth was too much lustful and full of romantic stories. He fell in love with Devayani the most beloved daughter of Sukracharya. Devayani wished to marry him but at first he refused to accept her on account of her becoming the daughter of a Brahmin. According to Shastras a Brahmin could marry the daughter of a Kshatriya but a Kshatriya could not marry the daughter of a Brahmin. They were very much cautious about Varnasankara population in the world. Shukracharya specially amended this law of forbidden marriage and induced Emperor Yayati to accept Devayani. Devayani had a girl friend of the name Sarmistha who also fell in love with the emperor and thus went with her friend Devayani. Shukracharya forbade Emperor Yayati not to call Sharmistha at his bed room but Yayati could not strictly follow his instruction. He secretly married Sharmistha also and begot sons in her. When it was known to Devyani she went away to her father and lodged the complaint. Yayati was much attached with Devayani and when he went to his father-in-law's place to call her, Shukracharya was angry upon him and cursed him to become impotent. Yayati begged his father-in-law to withdraw his curse but the sage asked Yayati to ask youthfulness from his sons and let them become old as the condition of his becoming potent. He had five sons two from Devayani and three from Sharmistha. From his five sons namely 1. Yadu, 2 Turvasu, 3. Druhyu, 4. Anu, and 5. Puru five famous dynasties namely 1. the Yadu dynasty 2 the Yavan (Turks) dynasty, 3. the Bhoja dynasty 4. Mlechcha dynasty (Greeks) and the 5. Pourab dynasty all emanated to spread all over the world. He reached the heavenly planets by dint of his pious acts but he fell down from there on account of his self advertisement and ill-faming other great souls. After his fall down his daughter and grandson bestowed upon him their accumulated virtues and by the help of his grand son and friend Sivih he was again promoted to the heavenly kingdoms becoming one of the assembly member of Yamaraja where he is staying as a devotee. He performed more than one thousands of different sacrifices, gave in charity very liberally and was very influential king; and his majestical power was felt all over the world. His youngest son agreed to award him his, youthfulness but when he was in his sense of lustful desires even for one thousands of years, he became detached from worldly life and returned youthfulness again to his son Puru. He wanted to hand over the kingdom to Puru but his noblemen and the subjects did not agree. But when he explained to his subjects the greatness of Puru they agreed to accept Puru as the King and thus Emperor Yayati retired from family life and left home for the forest.