Text 38] The Activities of Maharaja Priyavrata 71
qualified to renounce material attachment. Mayavadi philosophers, yogis
and jridnis try to give up this material world simply by saying, brahma
satyam jagan mithya: “This world is false. There is no use of it. Let us
take to Brahman.” Such theoretical knowledge will not help us. If we
believe that Brahman is the real truth, we have to place within our hearts
the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, as Maharaja Ambarisa did (sa vai manah
krsna-padaravindayoh). One has to fix the lotus feet of the Lord within
his heart. Then he gets the strength to be freed from material
entanglement.

Maharaja Priyavrata was able to give up his opulent kingdom, and he
also gave up the association of his beautiful wife as if she were a dead
body. However beautiful one’s wife and however attractive her bodily
features, one is no longer interested in her when her body is dead. We
praise a beautiful woman for her body, but that same body, when bereft
of a spirit soul, is no longer interesting to any lusty man. Maharaja
Priyavrata was so strong, by the grace of the Lord, that even though his
beautiful wife was alive, he could give up her association exactly like one
who is forced to give up the association of a dead wife. Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu said:

na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
*“O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do | desire
beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want
Your causeless devotional service birth after birth.”” For one who desires
to advance in spiritual life, attachment to material opulence and attach-
ment to a beautiful wife are two great impediments. Such attachments
are condemned even more than suicide. Therefore anyone desiring to
cross beyond material nescience must, by the grace of Krsna. be freed
from attachment to women and money. When Maharaja Priyavrata
became completely free from these attachments. he could again
peacefully follow the principles instructed by the great sage Narada.
