172 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 9, Ch. 5

iha yasya harer dasye
karmand manasa gira

nikhilasv apy avasthdsu
Jivan-muktah sa ucyate

In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Ripa Gosvami thus instructs that if
one’s only desire is service to the Lord, he is liberated in any condition of
life. Maharaja Ambarisa was undoubtedly liberated in any condition, but
as an ideal king he accepted the vanaprastha order of retirement from
family life. It is essential for one to renounce family responsibilities and
fully concentrate on the lotus feet of Vasudeva. Therefore Maharaja
Ambarisa divided the kingdom among his sons and retired from family
life.
TEXT 27

Rad PUTS AIC |
Q LN *
GRAAL AMTL Al ATTA AAT Ul
ity etat punyam akhyanam
ambarisasya bhipate

sankirtayann anudhyayan
bhakto bhagavato bhavet

wti—thus; etat—this; punyam akhyanam—most pious activity in
history; ambarisasya—of Maharaja Ambarisa; bhitpate—O King
(Maharaja Pariksit); sankirtayan—by chanting, repeating; anu-
dhydyan—or by meditating upon; bhaktah—a devotee; bhagavatah
—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhavet—one can become.

TRANSLATION

Anyone who chants this narration or even thinks of this narra-
tion about the activities of Maharaja Ambarisa certainly becomes a
pure devotee of the Lord.

PURPORT

Srila Vigvanatha Cakravarti Thakura herein gives a very good
example. When one is very eager for more and more money, he is not
