TEXT 23
drsta maya divi vibho khila-dhisnya-panam
ayuh sriyo vibhava icchati yan jano yam
ye smat pituh kupita-hasa-vijrmbhita-bhru-
visphurjitena lulitah sa tu te nirastah
SYNONYMS
drstahhave been seen practically; mayaby me; diviin the higher planetary systems; vibhoO my Lord; akhilaall; dhisnya-panamof the chiefs of different states or planets; ayuhthe duration of life; sriyahthe opulences; vibhavahglories, influence; icchatidesire; yanall of which; janah ayamthese people in general; yeall of which (duration of life, opulence, etc.); asmat pituhof our father, Hiranyakasipu; kupita-hasaby his critical laughing when angry; vijrmbhitabeing expanded; bhruof the eyebrows; visphurjitenasimply by the feature; lulitahpulled down or finished; sahhe (my father); tubut; teby You; nirastahcompletely vanquished.
TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, people in general want to be elevated to the higher planetary systems for a long duration of life, opulence and enjoyment, but I have seen all of these through the activities of my father. When my father was angry and he laughed sarcastically at the demigods, they were immediately vanquished simply by seeing the movements of his eyebrows. Yet my father, who was so powerful, has now been vanquished by You within a moment.
PURPORT
Within this material world, one should understand by practical experience the value of material opulence, longevity and influence. We have actual experience that even on this planet there have been many great politicians and military commanders like Napoleon, Hitler, Shubhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi, but as soon as their lives were finished, their popularity, influence and everything else were finished also. Prahlada Maharaja formerly gathered the same experience by seeing the activities of Hiranyakasipu, his great father. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja did not give any importance to anything in this material world. No one can maintain his body or material achievements forever. A Vaisnava can understand that nothing within this material world, not even that which is powerful, opulent or influential, can endure. At any time such things may be vanquished. And who can vanquish them? The Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore one should conclusively understand that no one is greater than the Supreme Great. Since the Supreme Great demands, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], every intelligent man must agree to this proposal. One must surrender unto the Lord to be saved from the wheel of repeated birth, death, old age and disease.

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