मय्यावेश्य मनस्तात कुरु कर्माणि मत्परः ॥२३॥
pitryaá¹ ca sthÄnam Ätiá¹£á¹ha
yathoktaá¹ brahmavÄdibhiḥ
mayy ÄveÅ›ya manas tÄta
kuru karmÄṇi mat-paraḥ
pitryam - paternal; ca - also; sthÄnam - place, throne; Ätiá¹£á¹ha - sit upon; yathÄ-uktam - as described; brahmavÄdibhiḥ - by the followers of Vedic civilization; mayi - unto Me; ÄveÅ›ya - being fully absorbed; manaḥ - the mind; tÄta - My dear boy; kuru - just execute; karmÄṇi - the regulative duties; mat-paraḥ - just for the sake of My work.
After performing the ritualistic ceremonies, take charge of your father’s kingdom. Sit upon the throne and do not be disturbed by materialistic activities. Please keep your mind fixed upon Me. Without transgressing the injunctions of the Vedas, as a matter of formality you may perform your particular duties.
When one becomes a devotee, he no longer has any duty to the Vedic regulative principles. One has many duties to perform, but if one becomes fully devoted to the Lord, he no longer has any such obligations. As stated in ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (11.5.41):
devará¹£i-bhÅ«tÄpta-nṛṇÄá¹ pitá¹á¹‡Äá¹
na kiá¹…karo nÄyam ṛṇī ca rÄjan
sarvÄtmanÄ yaḥ Å›araṇaá¹ Å›araṇyaá¹
gato mukundaá¹ parihá¹›tya kartam
One who has fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord is no longer a debtor to his forefathers, the great sages, human society, the common man or any living entity.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead nonetheless advised PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja to follow the regulative principles, for since he was going to be the king, others would follow his example. Thus Lord Ná¹›siá¹hadeva advised PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja to engage in his political duties so that people would become the Lord’s devotees.
yad yad Äcarati Å›reá¹£á¹has
tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramÄṇaá¹ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
“Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.†(Bg. 3.21) One should not be attached to any materialistic activities, but a devotee may perform such activities as an example to show the common man that one should not deviate from the Vedic injunctions.
