798 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 15
the kings offered their due respects. But in the absence of Lord Krsna, all
of them, at a moment’s notice, have become null and void. It is exactly
like offering clarified butter on ashes, accumulating money with a magic
wand or sowing seeds on barren land.
PURPORT
As we have discussed more than once, one should not be puffed up by
borrowed plumes. All energies and powers are derived from the supreme
source, Lord Krsna, and they act as long as He desires and cease to
function as soon as He withdraws. All electrical energies are received from
the powerhouse, and as soon as the powerhouse stops supplying energy,
the bulbs are of no use. In a moment’s time such energies can be generated
or withdrawn by the supreme will of the Lord. Material civilization with-
out the blessing of the Lord is child’s play only. As long as the parents
allow the child to play, it is all right. As soon as the parents withdraw, the
child has to stop. Human civilization and all activities thereof must be
dovetailed with the supreme biessing of the Lord, and without this blessing
all advancement of human civilization is like decoration on a dead body. It
is said here that a dead civilization and its activities are something like
clarified butter on ashes, the accumulation of money by a magic wand and
the sowing of seeds in barren land.
TEXTS 22-23
UHRITT GTA Beat As TET
2 = 2 nN
fasaragert feat afetatia nea
~ ~
area alett Theat azrafaT AAT |
Xe x
AATMATA TIAA TA: NR
rajams tvayanuprstanam
suhrdam nah suhrtpure
vipra-sapa-vinudhanam
nighnatam mustibhir mithah
varunim madiram pitva
madonmathita-cetasam
ajanatam ivanyonyam
catuh paficavasesitah
