704 Stimad-Bhagavatam | Canto 4, Ch. 18

is given in the Srutis and smrltis to make sure that the human mission is
successful.

TEXT 4

ATAU I: AER TIAA |
TR: AEN TTI fTAssAN |v I!

tan alisthalt yah samyag
upayan pirva-darsitan

avarah graddhayopeta
upeyan vindale ‘iijasa

tan—those; alisthati—follows; yah—anyone who; samyak—completely;
upayan— principles; pirva—formerly ; darsitan—instructed ; avarah—inexperi-
enced; sraddhaya—with faith; upetah—being situated; upeyan—the fruits
of activities; vindale—enjoys; afijasa—very easily.

TRANSLATION

One who follows the principles and instructions enjoined by the great
sages of the past can utilize these instructions for practical purposes. Such
a person can very easily enjoy life and pleasures.

PURPORT

The Vedic principles (mahajano yena galah sa panthah) urge us to
follow in the footsteps of great liberated souls. In this way we can receive
benefit in both this life and the next, and we can also improve our material
life. By following the principles laid down by great sages and saints of the
past, we can very easily understand the aim of all life. The word avarah,
meaning “inexperienced,” is very significant in this verse. Every conditioned
soul is inexperienced. Everyone is abodha-jata—born a fool and rascal. In
democratic government at the present moment all kinds of fools and rascals
are making decisions. But what can they do? What is the result of their
legislation? They enact something today just to whimsically repeal it to-
morrow. One political party utilizes a country for one purpose, and the next
moment another political party forms a different type of government and
nullifies all the laws and regulations. This process of chewing the chewed
(punah punas carvita-carvapanam) will never make human society happy.
In order to make all human society happy and prosperous, we should
accept the standard methods given by liberated persons.
