राज्यं नैच्छद् यतिः पित्रा दत्तं तत्परिणामवित् ।
यत्र प्रविष्टः पुरुष आत्मानं नावबुध्यते ॥२॥

rÄjyaá¹ naicchad yatiḥ pitrÄ
dattaá¹ tat-pariṇÄmavit
yatra praviṣṭaḥ puruṣa
ÄtmÄnaá¹ nÄvabudhyate

 rÄjyam - the kingdom; na aicchat - did not accept; yatiḥ - the eldest son, Yati; pitrÄ - by his father; dattam - offered; tat-pariṇÄma-vit - knowing the result of becoming powerful as a king; yatra - wherein; praviṣṭaḥ - having entered; puruá¹£aḥ - such a person; ÄtmÄnam - self-realization; na - not; avabudhyate - will take seriously and understand.


Text

When one enters the post of king or head of the government, one cannot understand the meaning of self-realization. Knowing this, Yati, the eldest son of Nahuá¹£a, did not accept the power to rule, although it was offered by his father.

Purport

Self-realization is the prime objective of human civilization, and it is regarded seriously by those who are situated in the mode of goodness and have developed the brahminical qualities. Ká¹£atriyas are generally endowed with material qualities conducive to gaining material wealth and enjoying sense gratification, but those who are spiritually advanced are not interested in material opulence. Indeed, they accept only the bare necessities for a life of spiritual advancement in self-realization. It is specifically mentioned here that if one enters political life, especially in the modern day, one loses the chance for human perfection. Nonetheless, one can attain the highest perfection if one hears ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam. This hearing is described as nityaá¹ bhÄgavata-sevayÄ. MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it was involved in politics, but because at the end of his life he heard ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam from Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«, he attained perfection very easily. ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu has therefore suggested:

sthÄne sthitÄḥ Å›ruti-gatÄá¹ tanu-vÄá¹…-manobhir
 ye prÄyaÅ›o ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyÄm

(BhÄg. 10.14.3)

Regardless of whether one is in the mode of passion, ignorance or goodness, if one regularly hears ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam from the self-realized soul, one is freed from the bondage of material involvement.