### SB 4.29.1

> प्राचीनबर्हिरुवाच\
> भगवंस्ते वचोऽस्माभिर्न सम्यगवगम्यते ।\
> कवयस्तद्विजानन्ति न वयं कर्ममोहिताः ॥१॥

> prācīnabarhir uvāca\
> bhagavaṁs te vaco 'smābhir\
> na samyag avagamyate\
> kavayas tad vijānanti\
> na vayaṁ karma-mohitāḥ

*prācīnabarhiḥ uvāca*—King Prācīnabarhi said; *bhagavan*—O my lord; *te*—your; *vacaḥ*—words; *asmābhiḥ*—by us; *na*—never; *samyak*—perfectly; *avagamyate*—are understood; *kavayaḥ*—those who are expert; *tat*—that; *vijānanti*—can understand; *na*—never; *vayam*—we; *karma*—by fruitive activities; *mohitāḥ*—enchanted.

**King Prācīnabarhi replied: My dear lord, we could not appreciate completely the purport of your allegorical story of King Purañjana. Actually those who are perfect in spiritual knowledge can understand, but for us, who are overly attached to fruitive activities, to realize the purpose of your story is very difficult.**

In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa says:

> tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair
> ebhiḥ sarvam idaṁ jagat
> mohitaṁ nābhijānāti
> mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam

"Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole world does not know Me, who am above the modes and inexhaustible." (Bg. 7.13)

Generally people are enchanted by the three modes of material nature and therefore practically unable to understand that behind all materialistic activities in the cosmic manifestation is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Generally when people are engaged in sinful or pious activities, they are not perfect in knowledge of devotional service. The allegorical story narrated by Nārada Muni to King Barhiṣmān is especially meant to engage conditioned souls in devotional service. The entire story, narrated allegorically, is easily understood by a person in devotional service, but those who are engaged not in devotional service but in sense gratification cannot perfectly understand it. That is admitted by King Barhiṣmān.

This Twenty-ninth Chapter describes that by too much attachment for women one becomes a woman in the next life, but a person who associates with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative becomes free from all material attachments and is thus liberated.

It is said that man is a rational animal, but from this verse we can also understand that rationality exists even in animal life. Unless there is rationality, how can an animal maintain its body by working so hard? That the animals are not rational is untrue; their rationality, however, is not very advanced. In any case, we cannot deny them rationality. The point is that one should use one's reason to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for that is the perfection of human life.

In this verse the words dayā jīveṣu, meaning mercy to other living entities, indicate that a living entity must be merciful to other living entities if he wishes to make progress in self-realization. This means he must preach this knowledge after perfecting himself and understanding his own position as an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Preaching this is showing real mercy to living entities. Other types of humanitarian work may be temporarily beneficial for the body, but because a living entity is spirit soul, ultimately one can show him real mercy only by revealing knowledge of his spiritual existence. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera 'svarūpa' haya—kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa': "Every living entity is constitutionally a servant of Kṛṣṇa." One should know this fact perfectly and should preach it to the mass of people. If one realizes that he is an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa but does not preach it, his realization is imperfect. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura therefore sings, duṣṭa mana, tumi kisera vaiṣṇava? pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava: "My dear mind, what kind of Vaiṣṇava are you? Simply for false prestige and a material reputation you are chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in a solitary place." In this way people who do not preach are criticized. There are many Vaiṣṇavas in Vṛndāvana who do not like preaching; they chiefly try to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. The actual result of their so-called chanting in a secluded place, however, is that they sleep and think of women and money. Similarly, one who simply engages in temple worship but does not see to the interests of the mass of people, or cannot recognize devotees, is called a kaniṣṭha-adhikāri:

arcāyām eva haraye pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ (Bhāg. 11.2.47)