Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- ṛṣibhir yācito bheje
- navamaṁ pārthivaṁ vapuḥ
- dugdhemām oṣadhīr viprās
- tenāyaṁ sa uśattamaḥ
- (SB 1.3.14)
Translation: "O brāhmaṇas, the ninth incarnation of the Lord, prayed for by sages, was King Pṛthu, who cultivated the land to yield various produces, and for that reason the earth was beautiful and attractive."
Prabhupāda: So this refers to King Pṛthu, Mahārāja Pṛthu. So his father's name was King Veṇa. And his father's name was... I don't remember. Perhaps Aṅga, like that. So the Veṇa's father married one woman. She was the daughter of Death, means the family was not very good. So as a result of this marriage, a son was born, whose name was Veṇa, who came out to be first-class rogue. So the father of Veṇa wanted to reform him in so many ways, but he could not. The son was not to be corrected. So the father became disgusted, and one day he left home without any knowledge of the family members or the officers and king. He left.
Then the great sages and brāhmaṇas, because without king there was irregularities in the kingdom... Just like we have got experience. If there is no good government, strong government, the rogues, thieves, smugglers and so many other disrupting elements, they will grow. Because they are always existing. They find out the opportunity. As soon as there is some revolution, political upsurge, or mismanagement of the government, these undesirable elements, they come out. So when the father of Veṇa Mahārāja left home, the kingdom became unruly. Therefore the sages and saintly persons, they asked the queen that "Your son, although he is worthless, so let him become king. There must be some king."
So this Veṇa was made king by the desire of the saintly person. The significance is that formerly the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas and the śūdras, these four departments, they must remain. Varṇāśrama. That must be maintained, class division. So the brāhmaṇas, the saintly persons, sages, they used to recommend that "Yes, this person is fit for becoming king." Then the coronation was celebrated. Or... This means that the kṣatriyas were under the order of the brāhmaṇas. So when Veṇa become king, of course, the rogues and thieves, they were immediately subdued. Because rogues and thieves, and here the king is also greater rogue. So the smaller rogues were subdued immediately. That was one of the benefit, because he was very strong and cruel. Immediately, caught a rogue, he will immediately cut off his head. So they were subdued. But he himself is a rogue. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. This is our experience. "Might is right." If you are stronger, then you can subdue less strong. But he became very much disturbing. He was atheist, and he ordered that "There is no God. I am God. So what I say, you have to abide." The brāhmaṇas were also... "You cannot perform yajñas. This is not required." In this way, he became too much disturbing.
Then one day all the brāhmaṇas and the sages, they came to give him instruction: "My dear king, it is not your duty to stop all kinds of religious activities." Just like the Communist government. Yes. But who hears? He said, "No. Why you are trying to pacify God? I am God. You just act. If you are actually God conscious, then you act according to my order." So when the sages and brāhmaṇas became disgusted, he was killed by the brāhmaṇas, by their order. You see? The brāhmaṇas were so strong. By simply cursing, they could kill anyone. So the Veṇa was killed. Then again the rogues and thieves came out. Then from the body of Veṇa, they created two sons. One son was black, and he was ordered that "You go to the forest." Because they could know that he was exactly son of the father. Niṣāda. Niṣāda. They were sent... He was sent to the forest. And then the King Pṛthu was born. The King Pṛthu, He is incarnation of, power incarnation of God. Śaktyāveśāvatāra So he proved himself as a great king on this earth. He produced foodstuff, foodgrains, profusely.
That from the life of King Pṛthu we can understand. We are discussing that in the Fourth Canto, the life of Mahārāja Pṛthu, how good government can be maintained. Pṛthu Mahārāja is the ideal king. He produced, he made arrangement. The earth was not producing sufficient foodgrains, so he attacked the earth that "Why you are not producing?" The mother earth said that "Because the people have become demon and they are simply eating, but they are not doing their duty. Therefore I have minimized producing grain." This is to be very important, that the earth can produce any amount of foodgrains. There is no question of overpopulation. There is no question of overpopulation, because everyone is being fed by the mercy of God. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. God is giving everyone the foodstuff.
I have several times explained in this class that nobody has got any food problem. Simply the so-called civilized, advanced in science, these people have got problems of foodgrains. Otherwise, there are millions of elephants, they are eating very nicely. There are ants, there are elephants, there are tigers, there are monkeys, there are trees... So many, 8,400,000 forms of body. How they are eating? Unless they are eating... We kill animals, but the animals do not come to the..., to us, that "We are starving. Give us food." Never. By nature, there is arrangement, foodstuff. The cows, the other animals, they are eating grass. There is profuse growth of grass. So they are not eating your nice foodstuff, sandeśa, rasagullā. You are making sandeśa, rasagullā from the milk which they deliver. They are eating grass and delivering you nice foodstuff, milk. And from the milk, you can make hundreds and thousands of nice, nutritious, full of vitamin foodstuff. But no. We are so fool that instead of utilizing the milk, we are utilizing the blood. You see?
These rascals, the scientists, they do not know that milk is nothing but transformation of the blood. That everyone knows. So if you want to... That is nature's way, by God's will, that a cow gives forty pounds, fifty pounds milk daily, but it does not drink. Although it is her milk, no, it gives you, human society: "You take. But don't kill me. Let me live. I am eating only grass." Just see. And the civilized men killing them, killing them. And they want peace. Just see the fun. Without touching your foodstuff, the cow is eating the grass which is given by God, immense grass, and they are giving you the finest foodstuff, milk. Just after your birth you have only to drink milk, either mother's milk... Nowadays, mothers do not supply milk. That is also to be supplied by the cow. So from the very beginning of my life I am subsisting by the foodstuff given by mother, cow, and when I am grown up, I kill. This is my gratitude. Just see. And they are called civilized. Less than lowest animal, narādhama. They are called narādhama, lowest of the mankind. Those who are killing cows, maintaining slaughterhouse, they are lowest of the mankind. They are not human being. Less than animal. They have no gratitude.