SB 5.15.7 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.15.7

स वै स्वधर्मेण प्रजापालन पोषणप्रीणनोपलालनानुशासनलक्षणेनेज्यादिना च भगवति महापुरुषे परावरे ब्रह्मणि सर्वात्मनार्पितपरमार्थलक्षणेन ब्रह्मविच्चरणानुसेवयाऽऽपादितभगवद्‍भक्तियोगेन चाभीक्ष्णश: परिभावितातिशुद्ध मतिरुपरतानात्म्य आत्मनि स्वयमुपलभ्यमानब्रह्मात्मानुभवोऽपि निरभिमान एवावनिमजूगुपत् ॥ ७ ॥

sa vai sva-dharmeṇa prajā-pālana-poṣaṇa-prīṇanopalālanānuśāsana-lakṣaṇenejyādinā ca bhagavati mahā-puruṣe parāvare brahmaṇi sarvātmanārpita-paramārtha-lakṣaṇena brahmavic-caraṇānusevayāpādita-bhagavad-bhakti-yogena cābhīkṣṇaśaḥ paribhāvitāti-śuddha-matir uparatānātmya ātmani svayam upalabhyamāna-brahmātmānubhavo ’pi nirabhimāna evāvanim ajūgupat.

[sa vai sva-dharmena prajaa-paalana-poshana-preenanopalaalanaanushaasana-lakshanenejyaadinaa cha bhagavati mahaa-purushe paraavare brahmani sarvaatmanaarpita-paramaartha-lakshanena brahmavich-charanaanusevayaapaadita-bhagavad-bhakti-yogena chaabheekshnashah paribhaavitaati-shuddha-matir uparataanaatmya aatmani svayam upalabhyamaana-brahmaatmaanubhavo ’pi nirabhimaana evaavanim ajoogupat.]

Word-for-word

saḥ — that King Gaya vai — indeed sva-dharmeṇa — by his own duty prajā-pālana — of protecting the subjects poṣaṇa — of maintaining them prīṇana — of making them happy in all respects upalālana — of treating them as sons anuśāsana — of sometimes chastising them for their mistakes lakṣaṇena — by the symptoms of a king ijyā-ādinā — by performing the ritualistic ceremonies as recommended in the Vedas ca — also bhagavati — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu mahā-puruṣe — the chief of all living entities para-avare — the source of all living entities, from the highest, Lord Brahmā, to the lowest, like the insignificant ants brahmaṇi — unto Parabrahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva sarva-ātmanā — in all respects arpita — of being surrendered parama-artha-lakṣaṇena — with spiritual symptoms brahma-vit — of self-realized, saintly devotees caraṇa-anusevayā — by the service of the lotus feet āpādita — achieved bhagavat-bhakti-yogena — by the practice of devotional service to the Lord ca — also abhīkṣṇaśaḥ — continuously paribhāvita — saturated ati-śuddha-matiḥ — whose completely pure consciousness (full realization that the body and mind are separate from the soul) uparata-anātmye — wherein identification with material things was stopped ātmani — in his own self svayam — personally upalabhyamāna — being realized brahma-ātma-anubhavaḥ — perception of his own position as the Supreme Spirit api — although nirabhimānaḥ — without false prestige eva — in this way avanim — the whole world ajūgupat — ruled strictly according to the Vedic principles.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

saḥ

that King Gaya

vai

indeed

sva-dharmeṇa

by his own duty

prajā-pālana

of protecting the subjects

poṣaṇa

of maintaining them

prīṇana

of making them happy in all respects

upalālana

of treating them as sons

anuśāsana

of sometimes chastising them for their mistakes

lakṣaṇena

by the symptoms of a king

ijyā-ādinā

by performing the ritualistic ceremonies as recommended in the Vedas

also

bhagavati

unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu

mahā-puruṣe

the chief of all living entities

para-avare

the source of all living entities, from the highest, Lord Brahmā, to the lowest, like the insignificant ants

brahmaṇi

unto Parabrahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva

sarva-ātmanā

in all respects

arpita

of being surrendered

parama-artha-lakṣaṇena

with spiritual symptoms

brahma-vit

of self-realized, saintly devotees

caraṇa-anusevayā

by the service of the lotus feet

āpādita

achieved

bhagavat-bhakti-yogena

by the practice of devotional service to the Lord

also

abhīkṣṇaśaḥ

continuously

paribhāvita

saturated

ati-śuddha-matiḥ

whose completely pure consciousness (full realization that the body and mind are separate from the soul)

uparata-anātmye

wherein identification with material things was stopped

ātmani

in his own self

svayam

personally

upalabhyamāna

being realized

brahma-ātma-anubhavaḥ

perception of his own position as the Supreme Spirit

api

although

nirabhimānaḥ

without false prestige

eva

in this way

avanim

the whole world

ajūgupat

ruled strictly according to the Vedic principles.

King Gaya gave full protection and security to the citizens so that their personal property would not be disturbed by undesirable elements. He also saw that there was sufficient food to feed all the citizens. [This is called poṣaṇa.] He would sometimes distribute gifts to the citizens to satisfy them. [This is called prīṇana.] He would sometimes call meetings and satisfy the citizens with sweet words. [This is called upalālana.] He would also give them good instructions on how to become first-class citizens. [This is called anuśāsana.] Such were the characteristics of King Gaya’s royal order. Besides all this, King Gaya was a householder who strictly observed the rules and regulations of household life. He performed sacrifices and was an unalloyed pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was called Mahāpuruṣa because as a king he gave the citizens all facilities, and as a householder he executed all his duties so that at the end he became a strict devotee of the Supreme Lord. As a devotee, he was always ready to give respect to other devotees and to engage in the devotional service of the Lord. This is the bhakti-yoga process. Due to all these transcendental activities, King Gaya was always free from the bodily conception. He was full in Brahman realization, and consequently he was always jubilant. He did not experience material lamentation. Although he was perfect in all respects, he was not proud, nor was he anxious to rule the kingdom.

Purport

As Lord Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā, when He descends to the earth, He has two types of business — to give protection to the faithful and annihilate the demons ( paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām ). Since the king is the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is sometimes called nara-deva, that is, the Lord as a human being. According to the Vedic injunctions, he is worshiped as God on the material platform. As a representative of the Supreme Lord, the king had the duty to protect the citizens in a perfect way so that they would not be anxious for food and protection and so that they would be jubilant. The king would supply everything for their benefit, and because of this he would levy taxes. If the king or government otherwise levies taxes on the citizens, he becomes responsible for the sinful activities of the citizens. In Kali-yuga, monarchy is abolished because the kings themselves are subjected to the influence of Kali-yuga. It is understood from the Rāmāyaṇa that when Bibhīṣaṇa became friends with Lord Rāmacandra, he promised that if by chance or will he broke the laws of friendship with Lord Rāmacandra, he would become a brāhmaṇa or a king in Kali-yuga. In this age, as Bibhīṣaṇa indicated, both brāhmaṇas and kings are in a wretched condition. Actually there are no kings or brāhmaṇas in this age, and due to their absence the whole world is in a chaotic condition and is always in distress. Compared to present standards, Mahārāja Gaya was a true representative of Lord Viṣṇu; therefore he was known as Mahāpuruṣa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

King Gaya, without ego, realizing Brahman in himself and devoid of false conception, ruled the world. His pure mind was constantly filled with love for the Lord through bhakti-yoga achieved by service to the devotees, which was endowed with the spiritual quality of offering everything to the Supreme Lord, Bhagavān, Brahman, the source if high and low creatures, through performing sacrifices and executing dharma in the form of protecting, nourishing, satisfying, caressing, and chastising the citizens. He protected the citizens by crushing the enemy. He nourished them by giving them jobs. By offering dharma to the Lord it becomes spiritual. His pure mind was completely endowed with bhāva. Uparatānātmya means “devoid of thinking oneself the body.”

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Personal Guidance

King Gaya protected, fed, gifted, and personally cared for his citizens — full-spectrum service from a leader who saw himself as the Lord's representative. Real leadership is not extraction; it is comprehensive nourishment.

Reflection Questions

Where in your role of leadership are you taking more than you are giving?
Which of Gaya's four modes — protection, food, gifts, personal attention — could you strengthen this week?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io