FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.17.9

मैत्रेय उवाच यदाभिषिक्त: पृथुरङ्ग विप्रै-रामन्त्रितो जनतायाश्च पाल: । प्रजा निरन्ने क्षितिपृष्ठ एत्यक्षुत्क्षामदेहा: पतिमभ्यवोचन् ॥ ९ ॥
maitreya uvāca
[maitreya uvaacha]
yadābhiṣiktaḥ pṛthur aṅga viprair
[yadaabhishiktah prithur anga viprair]
āmantrito janatāyāś ca pālaḥ
[aamantrito janataayaash cha paalah]
prajā niranne kṣiti-pṛṣṭha etya
[prajaa niranne kshiti-prishtha etya]
kṣut-kṣāma-dehāḥ patim abhyavocan
[kshut-kshaama-dehaah patim abhyavochan]
maitreyaḥ uvāca — the great sage Maitreya said yadā — when abhiṣiktaḥ — was enthroned pṛthuḥ — King Pṛthu aṅga — my dear Vidura vipraiḥ — by the brāhmaṇas āmantritaḥ — was declared janatāyāḥ — of the people ca — also pālaḥ — the protector prajāḥ — the citizens niranne — being without food grains kṣiti-pṛṣṭhe — the surface of the globe etya — coming near kṣut — by hunger kṣāma — skinny dehāḥ — their bodies patim — to the protector abhyavocan — they said.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
maitreya uvāca
maitreyaḥ uvāca
the great sage Maitreya said
yadābhiṣiktaḥ pṛthur aṅga viprair
yadā
when
abhiṣiktaḥ
was enthroned
pṛthuḥ
King Pṛthu
aṅga
my dear Vidura
vipraiḥ
by the brāhmaṇas
āmantrito janatāyāś ca pālaḥ
āmantritaḥ
was declared
janatāyāḥ
of the people
ca
also
pālaḥ
the protector
prajā niranne kṣiti-pṛṣṭha etya
prajāḥ
the citizens
niranne
being without food grains
kṣiti-pṛṣṭhe
the surface of the globe
etya
coming near
kṣut-kṣāma-dehāḥ patim abhyavocan
kṣut
by hunger
kṣāma
skinny
dehāḥ
their bodies
patim
to the protector
abhyavocan
they said.
The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, at the time King Pṛthu was enthroned by the great sages and brāhmaṇas and declared to be the protector of the citizens, there was a scarcity of food grains. The citizens actually became skinny due to starvation. Therefore they came before the King and informed him of their real situation.

Information is given herein concerning the selection of the king by the brāhmaṇas. According to the varṇāśrama system, the brāhmaṇas are considered to be the head of the society and therefore to be situated in the topmost social position. The varṇāśrama-dharma, the institution of four varṇas and four āśramas, is very scientifically designed. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, varṇāśrama-dharma is not a man-made institution, but is God-made. In this narration it is clearly indicated that the brāhmaṇas used to control the royal power. When an evil king like Vena ruled, the brāhmaṇas would kill him through their brahminical powers and would select a proper ruler by testing his qualifications. In other words, the brāhmaṇas, the intelligent men or great sages, would control the monarchical powers. Here we have an indication of how the brāhmaṇas elected King Pṛthu to the throne as the protector of the citizens. The citizens, being skinny due to hunger, approached the King and informed him that necessary action should be taken. The structure of the varṇāśrama-dharma was so nice that the brāhmaṇas would guide the head of state. The head of state would then give protection to the citizens. The kṣatriyas would take charge of protecting the people in general, and under the protection of the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas would protect the cows, produce food grains and distribute them. Śūdras, the working class, would help the higher three classes by manual labor. This is the perfect social system.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Maitreya said: O Vidura! When Pṛthu was requested by the citizens to be the protector and enthroned by the brāhmaṇas, the citizens approached him with thin bodies at a time when the earth was without food and addressed him. The citizens engaged him as King, saying “You are the protector.”
After Pṛthu's enthronement, there was a scarcity of grains; people grew skinny and came to him directly. The right move when starving is to go to the protector and tell him the truth, not just suffer.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I starving in silence when I should be addressing the protector directly?
  • Whose dependents are quietly suffering because they haven't yet found me approachable?
📝 My note

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