Text 16] — Prthu Maharaja’s Meeting with the Four Kumaras 903

ultimate reality; kena—by which means; afijasa—without delay; bhavet—
can be achieved.

TRANSLATION

I am completely assured that personalities like you are the only friends
for persons who are blazing in the fire of material existence. | therefore
ask you how in this material world we can very soon achieve the ultimate
goal of life.

PURPORT

When saintly persons go from door to door to see those who are too
much materially engaged, it is to be understood that they do not go to ask
anything for their personal benefit. It is a fact that saintly persons go to
materialists just to give real information of the auspicious. Maharaja
?rthu was assured of this fact; therefore instead of wasting time by asking
the Kumaras about the auspicious, he preferred to inquire from them
whether he could soon be relieved from the dangerous position of mate-
rialistic existence. This was not, however, a question personally for Prthu
Maharaja. It was raised to teach the common man that whenever one
meets a great saintly person, he should immediately surrender unto him
and inquire about relief from the material pains of existence. Therefore
Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says: samsdra-visdnale, divd-nisi hiya jvale,
Judaite na kainu upaya. ‘We are always suffering from material pangs,
and our hearts are burning, but we can not find any way out of it.” The
materialistic person can also be called a tapasvi, which means someone who
is always suffering from material pains. One can only get rid of all these
material pains when he takes shelter of the chanting of the Hare Krsna
mantra. This is also explained by Narottama dasa Thakura: golokera prema-
dhana, harindma-sankirtana, rati nd janmila kene tdya. Narottama dasa
Thakura regretted that he did not pursue his attraction for the transcen-
dental vibration of the Hare Krsna mantra. The conclusion is that all
persons in this material world are suffering from material pains, and if
one wants to get rid of them, he must associate with saintly persons, pure
devotees of the Lord, and chant the maha-mantra, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna,
Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
That is the only auspicious way for materialistic persons.

TEXT 16
STRATA | ATI: |

arg faced aera: 126
