← Itihas

Bhāgavat · 4 / 21 / 21–25

An Appeal from King Pruthu

The King over this earth

King Pruthu — who invented seeds for agriculture; who landscaped the World for agriculture and residential purposes; and who architectured villages and cities to settle the subjects.

हरि: ॐ तत् सत् ॥

सभ्या: शृणुत भद्रं व: साधवो य ईहा गता:। यत्सु जिज्ञासुभीर्धर्ममावेद्यं स्वमनषितम् ॥

Learned Members! You be prosper. All those gentlemen who have come here listen to my request. A seeker should always speak of his mind on dharm before the learned persons. I present my thoughts before you all.

अहं दण्डधरो राजा प्रजानामिह योजित:। रक्षिता वृत्तिद: स्वेषु सेतूशऊ स्थापिता पृथक् ॥

On this earth, I have been made as king — to ensure the governance upon the subjects; to ensure their secureness; to provide them livelihood; and to let them live in accordance with their division of work.

तस्य मे तदनुस्ठानाद् यानाहुर्ब्रम्हवादिन:। लोका: स्यु: कामसंदोहा यस्य तुष्यति दिष्टदृक् ॥

If I fulfil the assigned responsibility, I shall aboard the place (Dham) of my desire; because the Rishis knowing thatness of Vedas opined that if the God Srihari, the witness of all the deeds (karmas) is pleased, then only the desired place (Dham) is made available.

य उद्धरेत्करं राजा प्रजा धर्मेष्वशिक्षयन् । प्रजानां शमलं भुङ्गक्ते भगं च स्वं जहाती स: ॥

The king who does not educate the subjects on the dharm (or karm) of people, and resorts to collect taxes only, shares the sins of the subjects and loses his divine wealth forever.

तत् प्रजा भर्तृपिंडार्थं स्वार्थमेवानसूयव: । कुरुताधोक्षजधियस्तर्हि मे$नुग्रह: कृत: ॥

That is why, oh my dear subjects! Keeping in view the wellness of this king after his death, you should desist from seeing the faults and flaws of others and do your respective karmas while remembering the God. By this way, you will be blessed with prosperity and I will be graced.

हरि: ॐ तत् सत् ॥

Source

Bhagavata Purana · Bhāgavat · 4 / 21 / 21–25

Bhagavata PuranaRaja DharmaGovernanceKarmaDharma