Devanagari
कर्माणि च यथाकालं यथादेशं यथाबलम् ।
यथोचितं यथावित्तमकरोद्ब्रह्मसात्कृतम् ॥ ५० ॥
Verse text
karmāṇi ca yathā-kālaṁ
yathā-deśaṁ yathā-balam
yathocitaṁ yathā-vittam
akarod brahma-sāt-kṛtam
Synonyms
karmāṇi
—
activities
;
ca
—
also
;
yathā
—
kālam — befitting time and circumstances
;
yathā
—
deśam — befitting the place and situation
;
yathā
—
balam — befitting one’s own strength
;
yathā
—
ucitam — as far as possible
;
yathā
—
vittam — as far as one can spend money in this connection
;
akarot
—
performed
;
brahma
—
sāt — in the Absolute Truth
;
kṛtam
—
did .
Translation
Being self-satisfied, Mahārāja Pṛthu executed his duties as perfectly as possible according to the time and his situation, strength and financial position. His only aim in all his activities was to satisfy the Absolute Truth. In this way, he duly acted.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
He also (besides bhakti) performed prescribed varṇāśrama duties according to time, place, qualified person, and wealth, as suitable to his bhakti, thinking that brāhmaṇas were doing the actions.
The word ca indicates that he also did karmas, prescribed duties. For the pure devotees like Pṛthu, though they are above doing karmas, to teach the people, or to avoid lapses in following the rules of varṇāśrama, or to avoid criticism of the path of bhakti, or to hide pure bhakti because it is confidential, the householders, without being attached, following previous conduct, either personally or by agents, can do a few karmas without being contaminated. This is what the followers of the sampradāya say. However, if they have no faith in those karmas, acts done without faith are as good as no acts at all. There is no harm if the pure devotees do not do them. And because these karmas are only done according to suitable time, place and recipient, all karmas are not performed. The karmas should be done “as suitable.” Because doing karmas are not suitable for pure devotees, being done only to show the public, their performance of karmas is not actual karma at all. One should do them in such a way that it is the brāhmaṇa’s action. He thinks, “Brāhmaṇas are performing these karmas.” In this way, he is not affected by the performance of karmas.
Purport
Mahārāja Pṛthu was a responsible monarch, and he had to execute the duties of a
kṣatriya,
a king and a devotee at the same time. Being perfect in the Lord’s devotional service, he could execute his prescribed duties with complete perfection as befitted the time and circumstance and his financial strength and personal ability. In this regard, the word
karmāṇi
in this verse is significant. Pṛthu Mahārāja’s activities were not ordinary, for they were in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has advised that things which are favorable to devotional service should not be rejected, nor should activity favorable for devotional service be considered ordinary work or fruitive activity. For example, an ordinary worker conducts business in order to earn money for his sense gratification. A devotee may perform the same work in exactly the same way, but his aim is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Consequently his activities are not ordinary.
Pṛthu Mahārāja’s activities were therefore not ordinary but were all spiritual and transcendental, for his aim was to satisfy the Lord. Just as Arjuna, who was a warrior, had to fight to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, Pṛthu Mahārāja performed his royal duties as king for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, whatever he did as emperor of the whole world was perfectly befitting a pure devotee. It is therefore said by a Vaiṣṇava poet,
vaiṣṇavera kriyā-mudrā vijṣe nā bujhāya:
no one can understand the activities of a pure devotee. A pure devotee’s activities may appear like ordinary activities, but behind them there is profound significance — the satisfaction of the Lord. In order to understand the activities of a Vaiṣṇava, one has to become very expert. Mahārāja Pṛthu did not allow himself to function outside the institution of four
varṇas
and four
āśramas,
although as a Vaiṣṇava he was a
paramahaṁsa,
transcendental to all material activities. He remained in his position as a
kṣatriya
to rule the world and at the same time remained transcendental to such activities by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Concealing himself as a pure devotee, he externally manifested himself as a very powerful and dutiful king. In other words, none of his activities were carried out for his own sense gratification; everything he did was meant for the satisfaction of the senses of the Lord. This is clearly explained in the next verse.