Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 52: Śabalā, Vasiṣṭha’s Wish-fulfilling Cow
Text 1.52.14
सत्क्रियां हि भवानेतां प्रतीच्छतु मयोद्यताम्।
राजा त्वमतिथिश्रेष्ठः पूजनीयः प्रयत्नतः॥
satkriyāṁ hi bhavān etāṁ pratīcchatu mayodyatām
rājā tvam atithi-śreṣṭhaḥ pūjanīyaḥ prayatnataḥ
satkriyām hi = the respectful hospitality; bhavān etām pratīcchatu = please accept; mayā udyatām = I wish to extend to you; rājā = as a king; tvam = you; atithi-śreṣṭhaḥ = are the foremost of uninvited guests; pūjanīyaḥ prayatnataḥ = and so are worthy of careful worship.
Please accept the respectful hospitality I wish to extend to you. As a king, you are the foremost of uninvited guests and so are worthy of careful worship.
NOTE. The Supreme Personality of Godhead states in Bhagavad-gītā 10.27—narāṇāṁ ca narādhipam: “Among men I am the monarch.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains in his purport: “Amongst the human beings, the king is the representative of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is the maintainer of the universe, and the kings, who are appointed on account of their godly qualifications, are maintainers of their kingdoms. Kings like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Lord Rāma were all highly righteous kings who always thought of the citizens’ welfare. In Vedic literature, the king is considered to be the representative of God. In this age, however, with the corruption of the principles of religion, monarchy decayed and is now finally abolished. It is to be understood that in the past, however, people were more happy under righteous kings.”