Text 47] Pṛthu Mahārāja's Meeting with the Four Kumāras
953
ality of Godhead. They eat only  prasāda , or remnants of the food offered to the Lord. The  kṣatriyas ,  vaiśyas  and  śudras  should eat only  Kṛṣṇa-prasādam , which is afforded them by the mercy of the  brāhmaṇas . They cannot open slaughterhouses and eat meat, fish or eggs, or drink liquor, or earn money for this purpose without authorization. In the present age, because society is not guided by brahminical instruction, the whole population is only absorbed in sinful activities. Consequently everyone is deservedly being punished by the laws of nature. This is the situation in this age of Kali.
TEXT 47
यैरीदृशी भगवतो गतिरात्मवाद
एकान्ततो निगमिभिः प्रतिपादिता नः ।
तुष्यन्त्वदभ्रकरुणाः स्वकृतेन नित्यं
को नाम तत्प्रतिकरोति विनोदपात्रम् ॥४७॥
yair īdṛśī bhagavato gatir ātma-vāda ekāntato nigamibhiḥ pratipāditā naḥ tuṣyantu adabhra-karuṇāḥ sva-kṛtena nityam ko nāma tat pratikaroti vinoda-pātram
yaiḥ—by those; īdṛśī—such kind of; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; gatiḥ—progress; ātma-vāde—spiritual consideration; ekāntataḥ—in complete understanding; nigamibhiḥ—by Vedic evidences; pratipāditā—conclusively established; naḥ—unto us; tuṣyantu—be satisfied; adabhra—unlimited; karuṇāḥ—mercy; sva-kṛtena—by your own activity; nityam—eternal; kaḥ—who; nāma—no one; tat—that; pratikaroti—counter-acts; vinā—without; uda-pātram—offering of water in cupped hands.
TRANSLATION
Pṛthu Mahārāja continued: How can such persons, who have rendered unlimited service by explaining the path of self-realization in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whose explanations are given for our enlightenment with complete conviction and Vedic evidence, be repaid except by folded palms containing water for their satisfaction? Such great personalities can be satisfied only by their own activities, which are distributed amongst human society out of their unlimited mercy.
PURPORT
Great personalities of the material world are very eager to render welfare service to human society, but actually no one can render better