serve and consult devotees
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Imported quote 13348 A learned man treats all women except his wife as his mother, looks on others' property as garbage in the street, and treats others as he would treat his own self. These are the symptoms of a learned person as described by Canakya Panḍita. This should be the standard for education. Education does not mean having academic degrees only. One should execute what he has learned in his personal life. These learned characteristics were verily manifest in the life of King Prthu. Although he was the king, he treated himself as a servant of the Lord's devotees. According to Vedic etiquette, if a devotee came to a king's palace, the king would immediately offer his own seat to him. The word brahma-vadinam is very significant. Brahma-vadi refers to the devotees of the Lord. Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are different terms for the Supreme Brahman, and the Supreme Brahman is Lord Krsna. This is accepted in Bhagavad-gita by Arjuna (param brahma param dhama, (Bg. 10.12). Thus the word brahma-vadinam refers to the devotees of the Lord. The state should always serve the devotees of the Lord, and the ideal state should conduct itself according to the instructions of the devotee. Because King Prthu followed this principle, he is highly praised.
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