990 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 23°

able to give up all other methods of self-realization. In other words, when
one firmly realizes Krsna as the supreme goal, he is no longer attracted by
mystic yoga practice or the speculative empirical methods of knowledge.

TEXT 13

ad a daa: aaeraaarafa |
AMIN CE AS TNA A BIT 11231

evam sa vira-pravarah
samyojyatmanam atmani

brahma-bhiito drdham kale
tatyaja svam kalevaram

evam—thus; sah—he; vira-pravarah—the chief of the heroes; samyojya—
applying; atma@nam—mind; dtmani—unto the Supersoul; brahma-bhiitah—
being liberated; drdham—firmly; kale—in due course of time; tatyaja—
gave up; svam—own; kalevaram—body.

TRANSLATION

In due course of time, Prthu Maharaja was able to fix his mind firmly
upon the lotus feet of Krsna, and thus, completely situated on the brahma-
bhita platform, he gave up the material body.

PURPORT

According to a Bengali proverb, whatever spiritual progress one makes
in life will be tested at the time of death. In Bhagavad-gitd it is also con-
firmed: yarh yam vapi smaran bhdvam tyajaty ante kalevaram/ tam tam
evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah (Bg. 8.6). Those who are practicing
Krsna consciousness know that their examination will be held at the time
of death. If one can remember Krsna at death, he is immediately trans-
ferred to Goloka Vrndavana, or Krsnaloka, and thus his life becomes suc-
cessful. Prthu Maharaja, by the grace of Krsna, could understand that the
end of his life was near, and thus he became very jubilant and proceeded to
completely give up his body on the brahma-bhiita stage by practicing the
yogic process. It is thoroughly described in the following verses how one
can voluntarily give up this body and return home, back to Godhead. The
yogic process practiced by Prthu Maharaja at the time of death accelerates
the giving up of this body while one is in sound health physically and
mentally. Every devotee desires to give up the body while it is sound
physically and mentally. This desire was also expressed by King Kulasekhara
in his Mukunda-mala-stotra:
