Text 50] = Prthu Maharaja’s Meeting with the Four Kumaras 957

karmani ca yatha-kalam
yatha-desam yatha-balam

yathocitam yatha-vittam
akarod brahma-sat-krtam

karmani—activities; ca—also; yatha-kalam—befitting time and circum-
stances; yatha-desam—befitting the place and situation; yatha-balam—
befitting one’s own strength; yatha-ucitam—as far as possible; yatha-vittam—
as far as one can spend money in this connection; akarot—performed;
brahma-sat—in the Absolute Truth; krtam—did.

TRANSLATION

Being self-satisfied, Maharaja Prthu executed his duties as perfectly as
possible according to the time and his situation, strength and financial
position. His only aim in all his activities was to satisfy the Absolute Truth.
In this way, he duly acted.

PURPORT

Maharaja Prthu was a responsible monarch, and he had to execute
the duties of a ksatriya, a king and a devotee at the same time. Being per-
fect in the Lord’s devotional service, he could execute his prescribed duties
with complete perfection as befitted the time and circumstance and his
financial strength and personal ability. In this regard, the word karmani in
this verse is significant. Prthu Maharaja’s activities were not ordinary be-
cause they were in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Srila Ripa Gosvami has advised that things which are favorable to devo-
tional service should not be rejected, nor should activity favorable for devo-
tional service be considered ordinary work or fruitive activity. For example,
an ordinary worker conducts business in order to earn money for his
sense gratification. A devotee may perform the same work in exactly the
same way, but his aim is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Consequently his
activities are not ordinary.

Prthu Maharaja’s activities were therefore not ordinary but were all
spiritual and transcendental, for his aim was to satisfy the Lord. Just as
Arjuna, who was a warrior, had to fight to satisfy Krsna, Prthu Maharaja
performed his royal duties as king for the satisfaction of Krsna. Indeed,
whatever he did as emperor of the whole world was perfectly befitting a
pure devotee. It is therefore said by a Vaisnava poet, vaisnavera kriya
miidha vijiie na bujhaya: no one can understand the activities of a pure
devotee. A pure devotee’s activities may appear like ordinary activities, but
