Text 40] King Yayati Regains His Youth 43

sa gundan samatityauan
brahma-bhiiyaya kalpate

“One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in
any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and
thus comes to the level of Brahman.” (Bg. 14.26) If one attains devo-
tional service, therefore, he is certainly liberated. Generally, unless one
enjoys material happiness, one cannot attain renunciation. Varndsrama
therefore gives the opportunity for gradual elevation. Yadu, the son of
Maharaja Yayati, explained that he was unable to give up his youth, for
he wanted to use it to attain the renounced order in the future.
Maharaja Yadu was different from his brothers. As stated in the next
verse, turvasus coditah pitra druhyus canus ca bharata/ pratyacakhyur
adharmajnah. Maharaja Yadu’s brothers refused to accept their father’s
proposal because they were not completely aware of dharma. To accept
orders that follow religious principles, especially the orders of one’s
father, is very important. Therefore when the brothers of Maharaja Yadu
refused their father’s order, this was certainly irreligious. Maharaja
Yadu’s refusal, however, was religious. As stated in the Tenth Canto,
yados ca dharma-silasya: Maharaja Yadu was completely aware of the
principles of religion. The ultimate principle of religion is to engage
oneself in devotional service to the Lord. Maharaja Yadu was very eager
to engage himself in the Lord’s service, but there was an impediment:
during youth the material desire to enjoy the material senses is certainly
present, and unless one fully satisfies these lusty desires in youth, there
is a chance of one’s being disturbed in rendering service to the Lord. We
have actually seen that many sannydsis who accept sannydsa pre-
maturely, not having satisfied their material desires, fall down because
they are disturbed. Therefore the general process is to go through
grhastha life and vanaprastha life and finally come to sannydsa and de-
vote oneself completely to the service of the Lord. Maharaja Yadu was
ready to accept his father’s order and exchange youth for old age because
he was confident that the youth taken by his father would be returned.
But because this exchange would delay his complete engagement in de-
votional service, he did not want to accept his father’s old age, for he was
eager to achieve freedom from disturbances. Moreover, among the de-
scendants of Yadu would be Lord Krsna. Therefore, because Yadu was
