TEXT 17
tasmad idam daiva-tantram
vyavasya bharatarsabha
tasyanuvihito 'natha
natha pahi prajah prabho
SYNONYMS
tasmattherefore; idamthis; daiva-tantramenchantment of providence only; vyavasyaascertaining; bharata-rsabhaO best among the descendants of Bharata; tasyaby Him; anuvihitahas desired; anathahhelpless; nathaO master; pahijust take care of; prajahof the subjects; prabhoO Lord.
TRANSLATION
O best among the descendants of Bharata [Yudhisthira], I maintain, therefore, that all this is within the plan of the Lord. Accepting the inconceivable plan of the Lord, you must follow it. You are now the appointed administrative head, and, my lord, you should now take care of those subjects who are now rendered helpless.
PURPORT
The popular saying is that a housewife teaches the daughter-in-law by teaching the daughter. Similarly, the Lord teaches the world by teaching the devotee. The devotee does not have to learn anything new from the Lord because the Lord teaches the sincere devotee always from within. Whenever, therefore, a show is made to teach the devotee, as in the case of the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, it is for teaching the less intelligent men. A devotee's duty, therefore, is to ungrudgingly accept tribulations from the Lord as a benediction. The Pandavas were advised by Bhismadeva to accept the responsibility of administration without hesitation. The poor subjects were without protection due to the Battle of Kuruksetra, and they were awaiting the assumption of power by Maharaja Yudhisthira. A pure devotee of the Lord accepts tribulations as favors from the Lord. Since the Lord is absolute, there is no mundane difference between the two.

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