78 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 5, Ch. 2

Sri-suka uvdca
evarn pitari sampravrtte tad-anusdsane vartamana agnidhro
Jambidvipaukasah prajé aurasavad dharmaveksamanah paryagopayat.

sri-sukah—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami; uvdca—said; evam—thus;
pitari—when his father; sampravrtte—took to the path of liberation;
tat-anusdsane—according to his order; vartamdnah—situated;
dgnidhrah—King Agnidhra; jambi-dvipa-okasah—the inhabitants of
Jambidvipa; prajah—citizens; aurasa-vat—as if they were his sons;
dharma—religious principles; aveksamdnah—strictly observing;
paryagopayat—completely protected.

TRANSLATION

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: After his father, Maharaja
Priyavrata, departed to follow the path of spiritual life by un-
dergoing austerities, King Agnidhra completely obeyed his order.
Strictly observing the principles of religion, he gave full protec-
tion to the inhabitants of Jambidvipa as if they were his own
begotten sons.

PURPORT

Following the instruction of his father, Maharaja Priyavrata, Maharaja
Agnidhra ruled the inhabitants of Jambidvipa according to religious
principles. These principles are exactly contrary to the modern principles
of faithlessness. As clearly stated here, the King protected the citizens
the way a father protects his begotten children. How he ruled the citizens
is also described here—dharmaveksamanah, strictly according to
religious principles. It is the duty of the executive head of a state to see
that the citizens strictly follow religious principles. The Vedic religious
principles begin with varndsrama-dharma, the duties of the four varnas
and four dsramas. Dharma refers to principles given by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The first principle of dharma, or religion, is to
observe the duties of the four orders as enjoined by the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead. According to people’s qualities and activities,
society should be divided into brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and Siidras
and then again into brahmacaris, grhasthas, vdnaprasthas and san-
nyasis. These are religious principles, and it is the duty of the head of
