TEXTS 5657
ayam hi sruta-sampannah
sila-vrtta-gunalayah
dhrta-vrato mrdur dantah
satya-van mantra-vic chucih
gurv-agny-atithi-vrddhanam
susrusur anahankrtah
sarva-bhuta-suhrt sadhur
mita-vag anasuyakah
SYNONYMS
ayamthis person (known as Ajamila); hiindeed; sruta-sampannahwell educated in Vedic knowledge; silaof good character; vrttagood conduct; gunaand good qualities; alayahthe reservoir; dhrta-vratahfixed in the execution of the Vedic injunctions; mrduhvery mild; dantahcompletely controlling the mind and senses; satya-vakalways truthful; mantra-vitknowing how to chant the Vedic hymns; sucihalways very neat and clean; guruthe spiritual master; agnithe fire-god; atithiguests; vrddhanamand of the old household members; susrusuhvery respectfully engaged in the service; anahankrtahwithout pride or false prestige; sarva-bhuta-suhrtfriendly to all living entities; sadhuhwell behaved (no one could find any fault in his character); mita-vaktalking with great care not to speak nonsense; anasuyakahnot envious.
TRANSLATION
In the beginning this brahmana named Ajamila studied all the Vedic literatures. He was a reservoir of good character, good conduct and good qualities. Firmly established in executing all the Vedic injunctions, he was very mild and gentle, and he kept his mind and senses under control. Furthermore, he was always truthful, he knew how to chant the Vedic mantras, and he was also very pure. Ajamila was very respectful to his spiritual master, the fire-god, guests, and the elderly members of his household. Indeed, he was free from false prestige. He was upright, benevolent to all living entities, and well behaved. He would never speak nonsense or envy anyone.
PURPORT
The order carriers of Yamaraja, the Yamadutas, are explaining the factual position of piety and impiety and how a living entity is entangled in this material world. Describing the history of Ajamilas life, the Yamadutas relate that in the beginning he was a learned scholar of the Vedic literature. He was well behaved, neat and clean, and very kind to everyone. In fact, he had all good qualities. In other words, he was like a perfect brahmana. A brahmana is expected to be perfectly pious, to follow all the regulative principles and to have all good qualities. The symptoms of piety are explained in these verses. Srila Viraraghava Acarya comments that dhrta-vrata means dhrtam vratam stri-sanga-rahityatmaka-brahmacarya-rupam. In other words, Ajamila followed the rules and regulations of celibacy as a perfect brahmacari and was very softhearted, truthful, clean and pure. How he fell down in spite of all these qualities and thus came to be threatened with punishment by Yamaraja will be described in the following verses.

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