Text 2] The Activities of the Pracetas 1487

kim barhaspatyeha paratra vatha
katvalya-natha-priya-parsva-vartinah

dsadya devarh girisam yadrcchaya
prapuh param niinam atha pracetasah

kim—what; barhaspatya—O disciple of Brhaspati; tha—here; paratra—
in different planets; vaé—or; atha—as such; kaivalya-natha—to the bestower
of liberation; priya—dear; parsva-vartinah—being associated with; dsadya—
after meeting; devam—the great demigod; girifam—the lord of the Kailasa
Hill; yadrechaya—by providence; prapuh—achieved; param—the Supreme;
niinam—certainly ; atha—therefore; pracetasah—the sons of Barhisat.

TRANSLATION

My dear Barhaspatya, what did the sons of King Barhigat, known as the
Pracetas, obtain after meeting Lord Siva, who is very dear to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the bestower of liberation? Certainly they were
transferred to the spiritual world, but apart from that, what did they obtain
within this material world, either in this life or in other lives?

PURPORT

All types of material happiness are obtained in this life or in the next
life, on this planet or on another. The living entity wanders within this
material universe in so many species of life and so many planetary systems.
The distress and happiness obtained during the span of life are called iha,
and the distress and happiness obtained in the next life are called paratra.

Actually Lord Mahadeva (Siva) is one of the great demigods within this
material world. Generally his blessings bestowed on ordinary people mean
material happiness. The predominating deity of this material world, Durga,
is under the control of Lord Mahadeva, Giriga. Thus Lord Mahadeva can
offer anyone any kind of material happiness. Generally people prefer to
become devotees of Lord Giriga to obtain material happiness, but the
Pracetés met Lord Mahadeva by providential arrangement. Lord Mahadeva
instructed them to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he
personally offered a prayer. As stated in the previous verse (rudra-gitena),
simply by chanting the prayers offered by Lord Siva to Visnu, the Pracetas
were transferred to the spiritual world. Sometimes devotees desire to enjoy
material happiness also; therefore, by the arrangement of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the devotee is given a chance to enjoy the material
world before his final entrance into the spiritual world. Sometimes a devotee
is transferred to a heavenly planet, to Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka,
