CHAPTER ONE

The Activities of Maharaja Priyavrata
This chapter describes how King Priyavrata enjoyed royal opulence and
majesty and then returned to full knowledge. King Priyavrata was
detached from worldly opulence, and then he became attached to his
kingdom, but finally he again became detached from material enjoyment
and thus achieved liberation. When King Pariksit heard about this, he
was struck with wonder, but he was somewhat bewildered as to how a
devotee with no attachment for material enjoyment could later become
attached to it. Thus in astonishment he questioned Sukadeva Gosvami
about this.

In response to the King’s inquiries, Sukadeva Gosvami said that devo-
tional service, being transcendental, cannot be deviated by any material
influences. Priyavrata had received transcendental knowledge from the
instructions of Narada, and therefore he did not want to enter a
materialistic life of enjoyment in a kingdom. He accepted the kingdom,
however, at the request of such superior demigods as Lord Brahma and
Lord Indra, the King of heaven.

Everything is under the control of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, the supreme controller, and everyone must work accordingly.
Just as a bull is controlled by a rope tied to its nose, so all conditioned
souls are forced to work under the spells of the modes of nature. A
civilized man, therefore, works according to the institution of varna and
asrama. Even in materialistic life, however, no one is free to act. Every-
one is compelled to accept a certain type of body offered by the Supreme
Lord and thus be allotted different grades of happiness and distress.
Therefore even if one artificially leaves home and goes to the forest. he
again becomes attached to materialistic life. Family life is compared to a
fortress for practicing sense control. When the senses are controlled. one
may live either at home or in the forest; there is no difference.

When Maharaja Priyavrata, following the instruction of Lord Brahma.
accepted the royal throne, his father, Manu, left home for the forest.

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