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TEXT 25
evam vidhaneka-gunah sa raja
paratmani brahmani vasudeve
kriya-kalapaih samuvaha bhaktim
yayavirincyan nirayams cakara
SYNONYMS
evamin this way; vidha-aneka-gunahendowed with varieties of good qualities; sahhe, Maharaja Ambarisa; rajathe King; para-atmaniunto the Supersoul; brahmaniunto Brahman; vasudeveunto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, Vasudeva; kriya-kalapaihby practical activities; samuvahaexecuted; bhaktimdevotional service; yayaby such activities; avirincyanbeginning from the topmost planet; nirayandown to the hellish planets; cakarahe experienced that there is danger everywhere.
TRANSLATION
In this way, because of devotional service, Maharaja Ambarisa, who was endowed with varieties of transcendental qualities, was completely aware of Brahman, Paramatma and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus he executed devotional service perfectly. Because of his devotion, he thought even the topmost planet of this material world no better than the hellish planets.
PURPORT
An exalted and pure devotee like Maharaja Ambarisa is in full awareness of Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan; in other words, a devotee of Vasudeva, Krsna, is in full knowledge of the other features of the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized in three featuresBrahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan (brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate). A devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, knows everything (vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]) because Vasudeva, Krsna, includes both Paramatma and Brahman. One does not have to realize Paramatma by the yoga system, for the devotee always thinking of Vasudeva is the topmost yogi (yoginam api sarvesam [Bg. 6.47]). And as far as jnana is concerned, if one is a perfect devotee of Vasudeva, he is the greatest mahatma (vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]). A mahatma is one who has full knowledge of the Absolute Truth. Thus Maharaja Ambarisa, being a devotee of the personality of Godhead, was in full awareness of Paramatma, Brahman, maya, the material world, the spiritual world, and how things are going on everywhere. Everything was known to him. Yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati. Because the devotee knows Vasudeva, he knows everything within the creation of Vasudeva (vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]). Such a devotee does not give much value to the highest standard of happiness within this material world.
(Bhag. 6.17.28)
Because he is fixed in devotional service, a devotee does not regard any position in the material world as important. Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati has therefore written (Caitanya-candramrta 5):
For one who becomes a pure devotee through devotional service to great personalities like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, kaivalya, or merging into Brahman, appears no better than hell. As far as the heavenly planets are concerned, to a devotee they are like a phantasmagoria or will-o-the-wisp, and as far as yogic perfection is concerned, a devotee does not care a fig for such perfection, since the purpose of yogic perfection is achieved automatically by the devotee. This is all possible when one becomes a devotee of the Lord through the medium of Caitanya Mahaprabhus instructions.
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