Shloka 39
The Pracetās Meet Lord Viṣṇu—Benedictions, Pure Prayer, and the Birth of Dakṣa
यन्न: स्वधीतं गुरव: प्रसादिता विप्राश्च वृद्धाश्च सदानुवृत्त्या । आर्या नता: सुहृदो भ्रातरश्च सर्वाणि भूतान्यनसूययैव ॥ ३९ ॥ यन्न: सुतप्तं तप एतदीश निरन्धसां कालमदभ्रमप्सु । सर्वं तदेतत्पुरुषस्य भूम्नो वृणीमहे ते परितोषणाय ॥ ४० ॥
yan naḥ svadhītaṁ guravaḥ prasāditā viprāś ca vṛddhāś ca sad-ānuvṛttyā āryā natāḥ suhṛdo bhrātaraś ca sarvāṇi bhūtāny anasūyayaiva
O Lord, we have studied the Vedas, pleased our spiritual teachers, and served brāhmaṇas and spiritually advanced elders; we have bowed to the noble, to friends and brothers, and remained free from envy toward any being. O Purusottama, we offer all these merits solely for Your satisfaction.
As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam: the real perfection of life is pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ: in understanding the Vedas, one has to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who has actually understood Him surrenders unto Him after many, many births. We find all these qualifications in the Pracetās. They underwent severe austerities and penances within the water, and they did not take any food for a very long time. They practiced these austerities not for material benediction but for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. One may engage in any business — material or spiritual — but the purpose should be the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This verse presents a perfect picture of Vedic civilization. People training to become devotees should be respectful not only to the Supreme Personality of Godhead but also to those who are elderly in knowledge, who are Āryans and actual devotees of the Lord. An Āryan is one who does not boast but is an actual devotee of the Lord. Āryan means “advanced.” Formerly, those who claimed to be Āryans had to be devotees of the Lord. For instance, in Bhagavad-gītā (2.2) Kṛṣṇa chastised Arjuna by saying that he was speaking like a non-Āryan:
FAQs
This verse highlights anasūyā—being free from envy and fault-finding toward all beings—as a devotional virtue offered to please Lord Viṣṇu.
They present their entire life of right conduct—service to teachers, respect for the saintly, and goodwill to all—as an offering, seeking that everything be accepted solely for the Lord’s satisfaction.
Study sincerely, serve mentors with steadiness, respect elders, maintain loyal relationships, and practice non-envious speech and attitude—then dedicate the results to God rather than to ego.