Text 20] The Dynasty of Bharata 135

Sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

“Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping
Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in
yoga and is the highest of all.”” The best yogi is he who constantly thinks
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the core of the heart. Be-
cause Rantideva was the king, the chief executive in the state, all the
residents of the state became devotees of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Narayana, by the king’s transcendental association. This is the
influence of a pure devotee. If there is one pure devotee, his association
can create hundreds and thousands of pure devotees. Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura has said that a Vaisnava is meritorious in proportion to the
number of devotees he has created. A Vaisnava becomes superior not
simply by jugglery of words but by the number of devotees he has cre-
ated for the Lord. Here the word rantidevénuvartinah indicates that
Rantideva’s officers, friends® relatives and subjects all became first-class
Vaisnavas by his association. In other words, Rantideva is confirmed
herein to be a first-class devotee, or mahd-bhagavata. Mahat-sevarm
dvaram Ghur vimukteh: one should render service to such mahatmas,
for then one will automatically achieve the goal of liberation. Srila
Narottama dasa Thakura has also said, chddiyd vaisnava-sevd nistdra
payeche keba: one cannot be liberated by his own effort, but if one be-
comes subordinate to a pure Vaisnava, the door to liberation is open.

TEXTS 19-20

TMS RA At: TATA Tadd |
aftaerat aeritata ver TATet: HAT 81
garrett Y arama} aM: |
TAA TSAR TARA Roll

gargac chinis tato gargyah
ksatrad brahma hy avartata
duritaksayo mahdaviryat
tasya trayydrunih kavih
