686 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 17

puman yosid uta kliba
atma-sambhavano ’dhamah
bhiitesu niranukrosgo
nrpanam tad-vadho ’vadhah

pumdn—a man; yogsit—a woman; uta—also; klibah—eunuch; atma-
sambhavanah—interested in self-maintenance; adhamah—lowest of human-
kind; bhitesu—to other living entities; niranukrosah—without compassion;
nrpadndm—for the kings; tat—of him; vadhah—killing; avadhah—not killing.

TRANSLATION

Any cruel person—be he a man, woman or impotent eunuch—who is only
interested in his personal maintenance and has no compassion for other
living entities, may be killed by the king. Such killing can never be con-
sidered actual killing.

PURPORT

The planet earth is actually a woman in her constitutional form, and as
such she needs to be protected by the king. Prthu Maharaja argues, however,
that if a citizen within the state—be he man, woman or a eunuch—is not
compassionate upon his fellow men, he or she may be killed by the king,
and such killing is never to be considered actual killing. As far as the field of
spiritual activities is concerned, when a devotee is self-satisfied and does
not preach the glories of Krsna, he is not considered a first-class devotee. A
devotee who tries to preach, who has compassion upon innocent persons
who have no knowledge of Krsna, is a superior devotee. In his prayer to
the Lord, Prahlada Maharaja said that he was not personally interested in
liberation from this material world; rather, he did not wish to be liberated
from this material condition until all fallen souls are delivered. Even in the
material field, if a person is not interested in others’ welfare, he should be
considered to be condemned by the Personality of Godhead or His incarna-
tion as Prthu Maharaja.

TEXT 27

eateaeat gaat area Ararat fae: ae: |
aNPaTE FAT Rell

tvam stabdham durmadam
nitva mayd-gam tilasah saraih
