Prayers of the Pracetas – The Benediction of Holy Association

This article presents a thematic survey of the Pracetas' prayers offered to Lord Viṣṇu and their subsequent inquiries to the great sage Nārada. It organizes the verses found in the Vaniquotes category Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Verses Spoken by the Pracetas.

The Pracetas serve as an example of perfect cooperation in devotional service. As ten brothers with one mind and one purpose, they executed severe austerities to satisfy the Lord. Their prayers reveal the essence of a pure devotee's desire: not for material gain or even salvation, but for the opportunity to hear about Kṛṣṇa in the company of His devotees. Their later conversation with Nārada Muni illustrates the importance of renouncing family attachment to achieve the ultimate goal of life.

The Pracetās are the 56th top speakers of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with 24 verses at Vanisource. They speak only in the 4th canto (24 verses).

Prayers to Lord Viṣṇu (The Supreme Benediction)

Upon seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead after their long penance, the Pracetas offer obeisances and prayers. When the Lord invites them to ask for a benediction, they ask only for the association of devotees, declaring it superior to all other attainments.

The Value of Association

The Pracetas emphatically state that neither heaven nor liberation can compare to even a moment's association with a pure devotee.

"Dear Lord, we shall therefore pray for Your benediction because You are the Supreme, beyond all transcendence, and because there is no end to Your opulences. Consequently, You are celebrated by the name Ananta."
"Even a moment's association with a pure devotee cannot be compared to being transferred to heavenly planets or even merging into the Brahman effulgence in complete liberation."
"As long as we have to remain within this material world due to our material contamination and wander from one type of body to another and from one planet to another, we pray that we may associate with those who are engaged in discussing Your pastimes."
"Whenever pure topics of the transcendental world are discussed, the members of the audience forget all kinds of material hankerings, at least for the time being. Not only that, but they are no longer envious of one another."

Gratitude to Lord Śiva

The Pracetas acknowledge that their success is due to the mercy of Lord Śiva, who acted as their spiritual master and friend.

"Dear Lord, by virtue of a moment's association with Lord Śiva, who's very dear to You and who is Your most intimate friend, we were fortunate to attain You. You're the most expert physician, capable of treating the incurable disease of material existence."

The Glories of Hearing

The Pracetas describe the cleansing power of the Lord's holy name and pastimes, which act as a soothing balm for the material disease.

"The Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa, is present among devotees who are engaged in hearing and chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
"The Pracetas spoke as follows: Dear Lord, You relieve all kinds of material distress. Your magnanimous transcendental qualities and holy name are all-auspicious. This conclusion is already settled. You can go faster than the speed of mind and words."
"Lord Nārāyaṇa is the ultimate goal of sannyāsīs, those in the renounced order of life, and Nārāyaṇa is worshiped through this saṅkīrtana movement by those who are liberated from material contamination. Indeed, they recite the holy name again and again."
"When the bee approaches the celestial tree called the pārijāta, it certainly does not leave the tree, because there is no need for such action."

Glorification of the Lord’s Form and Nature

The Pracetas describe the beautiful form of the Lord as He appears before them, praising His lotus-like features and His impartial, independent nature.

The Lord’s Form

The Pracetas meditate on the Lord's dress, His lotus feet, and His origin as the source of the cosmic lotus.

"Dear Lord, the garment You have put on is yellowish in color, like the saffron of a lotus flower, but it is not made of anything material. Since You live in everyone's heart, You are the direct witness of all the activities of all living entities."
"Dear Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You because from Your abdomen sprouts the lotus flower, the origin of all living entities. You are always decorated with a lotus garland, and Your feet resemble the lotus flower with all its fragrance."
"Dear Lord, we (the Pracetas) beg to offer our obeisances unto You. When the mind is fixed upon You, the world of duality, although a place for material enjoyment, appears meaningless. Your transcendental form is full of transcendental bliss."

The Lord’s Nature

The Pracetas glorify the Lord as the killer of inauspiciousness, the independent controller, and the equal friend of all.

"Dear Lord, You are the killer of all inauspicious things. You are compassionate upon Your poor devotees through the expansion of Your arcā-vigraha. You should certainly think of us as Your eternal servants."
"Dear Lord, You have no enemies or friends. Therefore You are equal to everyone. You cannot be contaminated by sinful activities, and Your transcendental form is always beyond the material creation."
"Dear Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You because Your existence is completely independent of all material influences. Your Lordship always takes away the devotee's miserable conditions, for Your brain plans how to do so."
"Dear Lord, even great yogīs and mystics who are very much advanced by virtue of austerities and knowledge and who have completely situated themselves in pure existence, cannot fully understand Your glories and potencies."

The Lord’s Mercy

The Pracetas recognize that the Lord appears only out of causeless mercy to deliver the suffering souls.

"To deliver us from these miserable conditions, You have advented Yourself in this transcendental form. This is evidence of Your unlimited causeless mercy upon those of us who are suffering in this way."
"The Lord knows everything about the living entity, including all his desires. Although we are very insignificant, why should the Lord not know our desires?"
"When the Lord, out of His natural compassion, thinks of His devotee, by that process only are all desires of the neophyte devotee fulfilled. The Lord is situated in every living entity's heart, although the living entity may be very insignificant."

Instructions from Nārada (Regret and Enlightenment)

Years later, after ruling the kingdom, the Pracetas retire to the forest. There they meet Nārada Muni and express their regret for having been absorbed in family life, asking him to enlighten them once more.

Welcoming the Sage

The Pracetas welcome Nārada with great respect, comparing his arrival to the rising of the sun which dispels the fear of darkness.

"All the Pracetas began to address the great sage Nārada: O great sage, O brāhmaṇa, we hope you met with no disturbances while coming here. It is due to our great fortune that we are now able to see you."
"By the traveling of the sun, people are relieved from the fear of the darkness of night - a fear brought about by thieves and rogues. Similarly, your traveling is like the sun's, for you drive away all kinds of fear."
"O Lord of the universe, You are the actual teacher of the science of devotional service. We are satisfied that Your Lordship is the ultimate goal of our lives, and we pray that You will be satisfied with us."

Regret of Family Attachment

The Pracetas confess that their attachment to home and kingdom caused them to forget the instructions of Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu.

"O master, may we inform you that because of our being overly attached to family affairs, we almost forgot the instructions we received from Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu."
"Dear master, kindly enlighten us in transcendental knowledge, which may act as a torchlight by which we may cross the dark nescience of material existence."

Spiritual Qualifications

Throughout their prayers, the Pracetas mention the qualifications required to approach the Lord: austerity, study of the Vedas, and respect for superiors.

"We have offered our respects to them, and we have not been envious of any brother, friends or anyone else. We have also undergone severe austerities within the water and have not taken food for a long time."
"Dear Lord, we have studied the Vedas, accepted a spiritual master and offered respect to brāhmaṇas, advanced devotees and aged personalities who are spiritually very advanced."
"Nonetheless they have offered their prayers according to their own capacities. In the same way, we, although much lower than these personalities, also offer our prayers according to our own capability."

Conclusion: The Nature of the Supreme

The Pracetas conclude by affirming the supremacy of Lord Vāsudeva, who pervades all existence and is the cause of creation, maintenance, and destruction.

"Dear Lord, we conditioned souls are always covered by ignorance in the bodily conception of life. We therefore always prefer the miserable conditions of material existence."
"You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead because You remain everywhere within all existence. You are consequently known as Vāsudeva. We offer You our respectful obeisances."
"You live everywhere as Paramātmā; therefore You are known as Vāsudeva. You also accept Vāsudeva as Your father, and You are celebrated by the name Kṛṣṇa. You are so kind that You always increase the influence of all kinds of devotees."
"Your appearances as Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva are meant for the purpose of creating, maintaining and annihilating this cosmic manifestation."

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

This article is a thematic compilation of the teachings presented in the Vaniquotes category Bhagavatam Verses Spoken by the Pracetas. We invite you to visit the link to read the complete collection of verses presented in alphabetical order.