514 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 10
infallible Lord Krsna; pravrtta—being engaged in; vijndna—perfect know-
ledge; vidhiita—completely washed; vibhramah--all misgivings; sasasa—
ruled over; gam—the earth; indra—the king of the heavenly planet; iva—
like; ajita-dsrayah—protected by the invincible Lord: paridhyupantam—
including the seas; anuja—the younger brothers; anuvartitah—being fol-
lowed by them.
TRANSLATION

Maharaja Yudhisthira, after being enlightened by what was spoken by
Bhismadeva and Lord Sri Krsna, the infallible, engaged himself in matters
of perfect knowledge because all his misgivings were eradicated. Thus he
ruled over the earth and seas and was followed by his younger brothers.

PURPORT

The modern English law of primogeniture, or the law of inheritance bv
the first-born, was also prevalent in those days when Maharaja Yudhisthira
ruled the earth and seas. In those days the King of Hastinapura (now part
of New Delhi) was the emperor of the world, including the seas, up to the
time of Maharaja Pariksit, the grandson of Maharaja Yudhisthira. His
younger brothers were acting as his ministers and commanders of state,
and there was full cooperation between the perfectly religious brothers of
the king. Maharaja Yudhisthira was the ideal king or representative of
Lord Sri Krsna to rule over the kingdom of earth and was comparable to
King Indra, the representative ruler of the heavenly planet. The demigods
like Indra, Candra, Sirya, Varuna, Vayu, etc., are representative kings of
different planets of the universe, and similarly Maharaja Yudhisthira was
also one of them, ruling over the kingdom of the earth. Maharaja
Yudhisthira was not a typically unenlightened political leader of modern
democracy. Maharaja Yudhisthira was instructed by Bhismadeva and the
infallible Lord also, and therefore he had full knowledge of everything in
perfection.

The modern elected executive head of a state is just like a puppet
because he has no kingly power. Even if he is enlightened like Maharaja
Yudhisthira, he cannot do anything out of his own good will due to his
constitutional position. Therefore, there are so many states over the earth
quarreling because of ideological differences or other selfish motives. But
a king like Maharaja Yudhisthira had no ideology of his own. He had but
to follow the instructions of the infallible Lord and the Lord’s representa-
tive and the authorized agent, Bhismadeva. It is instructed in the sdstras
