Text 12] Maharaja Prthu’s Going Back Home 989
TRANSLATION

When he became completely free from the conception of bodily life,
Maharaja Prthu realized Lord Krsna sitting in everyone’s heart as the
Paramatma. Being thus able to get all instructions from Him, he gave up all
other practices of yoga and jnana. He was not even interested in the per-
fection of the yoga and jfiana systems, for he thoroughly realized that
devotional service to Krsna is the ultimate goal of life and that unless the
yogis and janis become attracted to Krsna-katha [narrations about
Krsna], their illusions concerning existence can never be dispelled.

PURPORT

As long as one is too much absorbed in the bodily conception of life, he
becomes interested in many different processes of self-realization, such as
the mystic yoga system or the system utilizing the speculative empiric
methods. However, when one understands that the ultimate goal of life is
to approach Krsna, he realizes Krsna within everyone’s heart and therefore
helps everyone who is interested in Krsna consciousness. Actually the per-
fection of life depends on one’s inclination to hear about Krsna. It is there-
fore mentioned in this verse: ydvad gaddgraja-kathdsu ratimh na kuryat. Un-
less one becomes interested in Krsna, in His pastimes and activities, there
is no question of liberation by means of yoga practice or speculative
knowledge.

Having attained to the stage of devotion, Maharaja Prthu became un-
interested in the practices of jidna and yoga and abandoned them. Thisis the
stage of pure devotional life as described by Rupa Gosvami: anydabhilasita-
Sunyam jiiana-karmady-anavrtam/ anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir
ultamd. Real jfidna means understanding that the living entity is the eternal
servant of the Lord. This knowledge is attained after many, many births,
as confirmed in Bhagavad-gitd: bahiindm janmandm ante jiidnavan mam
prapadyate (Bg. 7.19). In the paramahamsa stage of life, one fully realizes
Krsna as everything: vadsudevah sarvam iti sa mahdatmd sudurlabhah. When
one understands fully that Krsna is everything and that Krsna consciousness
is the highest perfection of life, he becomes a paramahamsa, or mahatma.
Such a mahdtmd or paramahamsa is very rare to find. A paramahamsa or
pure devotee is never attracted by hatha-yoga or speculative knowledge. He
is simply interested in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord. Some-
times one who is formally addicted to these processes tries to perform
devotional service and the jiidna and yoga practices at the same time, but
as soon as one comes to the unalloyed stage of devotional service, he is
