|
TEXTS 56–57
te tu tad-gauravat sarve
tyakta-krida-paricchadah
bala adusita-dhiyo
dvandvarameritehitaih
paryupasata rajendra
tan-nyasta-hrdayeksanah
tan aha karuno maitro
maha-bhagavato ’surah
SYNONYMS
te—they; tu—indeed; tat-gauravat—from great respect for the words of Prahlada Maharaja (due to his being a devotee); sarve—all of them; tyakta—having given up; krida-paricchadah—toys for playing; balah—the boys; adusita-dhiyah—whose intelligence was not as polluted (as that of their fathers); dvandva—in duality; arama—of those taking pleasure (the instructors, namely Sanda and Amarka); irita—by the instructions; ihitaih—and actions; paryupasata—sat down around; raja-indra—O King Yudhisthira; tat—unto him; nyasta—having given up; hrdaya-iksanah—their hearts and eyes; tan—unto them; aha—spoke; karunah—very merciful; maitrah—a real friend; maha-bhagavatah—a most exalted devotee; asurah—Prahlada Maharaja, although born of an asura father.
TRANSLATION
My dear King Yudhisthira, all the children were very much affectionate and respectful to Prahlada Maharaja, and because of their tender age they were not so polluted by the instructions and actions of their teachers, who were attached to condemned duality and bodily comfort. Thus the boys surrounded Prahlada Maharaja, giving up their playthings, and sat down to hear him. Their hearts and eyes being fixed upon him, they looked at him with great earnestness. Prahlada Maharaja, although born in a demon family, was an exalted devotee, and he desired their welfare. Thus he began instructing them about the futility of materialistic life.
PURPORT
The words bala adusita-dhiyah indicate that the children, being of a tender age, were not as polluted by materialistic life as their fathers. Prahlada Maharaja, therefore, taking advantage of the innocence of his class friends, began teaching them about the importance of spiritual life and the insignificance of materialistic life. Although the teachers Sanda and Amarka were instructing all the boys in the materialistic life of religion, economic development and sense gratification, the boys were not much polluted. Therefore, with great attention they wanted to hear from Prahlada Maharaja about Krsna consciousness. In our Krsna consciousness movement, the guru-kula plays an extremely important part in our activities because right from childhood the boys at the guru-kula are instructed about Krsna consciousness. Thus they become steady within the cores of their hearts, and there is very little possibility that they will be conquered by the modes of material nature when they are older.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Fifth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Prahlada Maharaja, the Saintly Son of Hiranyakasipu.”
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/7/5/56-57 Previous: SB 7.5.55 Next: SB 7.6 Summary
|