SB 1.19.16 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 16
Punas cha bhuyad bhagwati anante Ratih prasamgas cha tad asrayaesu. Mahatsu yam yam upayami sristim Maitras tu sarvatra namo dwijebhyah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Punas—again, Cha—and, Bhuyad—let it be, Bhagwati—unto Lord Sri Krishna, Anante—who has unlimited potency, Ratim—attraction, Prasamgas—association, Cha—also, Tad—His, Asrayaesu—unto those who are His devotees, Mahatsu—within the compass of material creation, Yam yam—whichever, Upayami—I may take, Sristim—my birth, Maitras—friendly relation, Tu—let it be, Sarvatra—everywhere, Namo—my obeisances, Dwijebhyah—unto the Brahmins.
TRANSLATION
Again after offering my obeisances unto you all the Brahmins, I beg to pray that should I again take my birth in the material world let it be that I may have my full attachment unto Lord Sri Krishna who has unlimited potency, my association with His devotees and my friendly relation with all living beings.
PURPORT
A devotee of the Lord is the only perfect living being is explained herein by Maharaja Parikshit. A devotee of the Lord is nobody's enemy although there may be many enemies of a devotee. A devotee of the Lord does not like to associate with non-devotees although he has no enmity with them. He desires association with the devotees of the Lord. This is perfectly natural because the birds of the same feather mix up together. The ducks and the crows are different types of birds. The ducks associate with the ducks and the crows associate with the crows. And the most important function of a devotee is to have complete attachment for Lord Sri Krishna the father of all other living beings. As a good son of the father behave friendly with all his other brothers, so also the devotee of the Lord being a good son of the Supreme Father Lord Krishna, sees all other living beings in relation with the Supreme Father. He tries to bring back the upstart sons of the father to a saner stage and thus gradually accepts the Supreme fatherhood of God. Maharaj Parikshit was certainly going back to home back to Godhead but even if he was not to go back like that he prayed for a pattern of life which is the most perfect way of life in the material world. A pure devotee does not desire the company of a personality as great as Brahma, but he prefers the association of a petty living being provided such living being is a devotee of the Lord.