Shloka 21
The Pracetās Meet Lord Viṣṇu—Benedictions, Pure Prayer, and the Birth of Dakṣa
मैत्रेय उवाच एवं ब्रुवाणं पुरुषार्थभाजनं जनार्दनं प्राञ्जलय: प्रचेतस: । तद्दर्शनध्वस्ततमोरजोमला गिरागृणन् गद्गदया सुहृत्तमम् ॥ २१ ॥
maitreya uvāca evaṁ bruvāṇaṁ puruṣārtha-bhājanaṁ janārdanaṁ prāñjalayaḥ pracetasaḥ tad-darśana-dhvasta-tamo-rajo-malā girāgṛṇan gadgadayā suhṛttamam
Maitreya said: When Janārdana, the Supreme Lord, had spoken thus, the Pracetās, with folded palms, began to offer prayers to Him—the bestower of life’s true success, the supreme benefactor, and the dearest friend of the devotee who removes all misery. Seeing the Lord face to face, their darkness and impurity were dispelled, and in voices choked with ecstasy they glorified Him.
The Lord is herein described as puruṣārtha-bhājanam, the bestower of the ultimate goal of life. Whatever success we want in life can be attained by the mercy of the Lord. Since the Pracetās had already attained the Lord’s mercy, they were no longer subject to the contamination of the material modes. The material modes dissipated from them just as the darkness of night immediately dissipates when the sun rises. Because the Lord appeared before them, naturally all the contaminations of the material qualities of rajas and tamas completely disappeared. Similarly, when an unalloyed devotee chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he is also purified of all material contamination because the name of the Lord and the Lord are identical. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17) :
FAQs
This verse says that simply by seeing Janārdana, the Pracetās had the impurities of ignorance (tamas) and passion (rajas) destroyed, and they naturally began to glorify Him with deep emotion.
Because Janārdana is described here as the giver of life’s true goals (puruṣārthas) and the supreme well-wisher; overwhelmed by His presence and purified by His darśana, they responded by offering heartfelt glorification.
Seek regular “darśana” through sincere worship, hearing and chanting about Viṣṇu; the verse teaches that consistent contact with the Lord’s presence (especially via śravaṇa-kīrtana) purifies the mind and awakens natural, heartfelt prayer.