SB 6.7.38 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच तेभ्य एवं प्रतिश्रुत्य विश्वरूपो महातपा: । पौरहित्यं वृतश्चक्रे परमेण समाधिना ॥ ३८ ॥

Verse text

śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca tebhya evaṁ pratiśrutya viśvarūpo mahā-tapāḥ paurahityaṁ vṛtaś cakre parameṇa samādhinā

Synonyms

śrī — bādarāyaṇiḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said ; tebhyaḥ — unto them (the demigods) ; evam — thus ; pratiśrutya — promising ; viśvarūpaḥ — Viśvarūpa ; mahā — tapāḥ — the most exalted personality ; paurahityam — the priesthood ; vṛtaḥ — surrounded by them ; cakre — executed ; parameṇa — supreme ; samādhinā — with attention .

Translation

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O King, after making this promise to the demigods, the exalted Viśvarūpa, surrounded by the demigods, performed the necessary priestly activities with great enthusiasm and attention.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Śukadeva said: After thus hearing them, austere Viśvarūpa, accepting the request, performed the priestly activities with great attention. Samādhinā means “with great concentration.”

Purport

The word samādhinā is very important. Samādhi means complete absorption with an undiverted mind. Viśvarūpa, who was a most learned brāhmaṇa, not only accepted the request of the demigods, but took their request seriously and performed the activities of priesthood with an undiverted mind. In other words, he accepted the priesthood not for material gain, but to profit the demigods. Such is the duty of a priest. The word puraḥ means “family,” and hita means “benefit.” Thus the word purohita indicates that the priest is the well-wisher of the family. Another meaning of the word puraḥ is “first.” A priest’s first duty is to see that his disciples benefit spiritually and materially by all means. Then he is satisfied. A priest should never be interested in performing Vedic rituals for his personal benefit.