Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.4.18
Poṣaṇa· The Lord's protectionGood Government Brings Satisfaction
“No one likes to possess anything that is like a will-o’-the-wisp or a flower in the sky, for everyone knows very well that such things do not exist. When Lord Ṛṣabhadeva ruled this planet of Bhāratavarṣa, even common men did not want to ask for anything, at any time or by any means. No one ever asks for a will-o’-the-wisp. In other words, everyone was completely satisfied, and therefore there was no chance of anyone’s asking for anything. The people were absorbed in great affection for the King. Since this affection was always expanding, they were not inclined to ask for anything.”
What the purport teaches
- Under Lord Ṛṣabhadeva’s rule, people were fully supplied with life’s necessities. They were satisfied and did not need to ask for anything.
- Their affection for the King kept increasing. Asking for more held no interest for them, just as no one asks for a flower in the sky.
- The purport calls the citizens’ full satisfaction the perfection of government. Ṛṣabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cared for everyone while following Vedic principles.
Try this today
Help meet one practical need of someone in your care today.
Ask yourself
When caring for others, do I pay attention to their actual necessities?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.