Pṛthu Mahārāja Meets the Four Kumāras: Bhakti as the Boat Across Saṁsāra
अस्त्येव राजन् भवतो मधुद्विष: पादारविन्दस्य गुणानुवादने । रतिर्दुरापा विधुनोति नैष्ठिकी कामं कषायं मलमन्तरात्मन: ॥ २० ॥
asty eva rājan bhavato madhudviṣaḥ pādāravindasya guṇānuvādane ratir durāpā vidhunoti naiṣṭhikī kāmaṁ kaṣāyaṁ malam antar-ātmanaḥ
My dear King, you already have an inclination to glorify the lotus feet of Madhudviṣa, the Supreme Lord. Such attachment is rare to attain; yet when it becomes unwavering and steadfast, it naturally washes away lust, taint, and impurity from the core of the heart.
satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati
This verse states that steady, exclusive devotion expressed through glorifying Lord Viṣṇu’s lotus feet powerfully cleanses lust, deep-rooted contamination, and inner impurity.
In their meeting with Pṛthu, the Kumāras affirm his genuine attraction to praising Lord Viṣṇu and teach that such unwavering bhakti is the rare means to purify the heart.
Make consistent time for hearing and speaking the Lord’s qualities (kīrtana/śravaṇa); that steady practice gradually weakens lust and cleanses entrenched habits and mental impurities.