Text 46
śrī-nārada uvāca
dharmaṁ pāramahaṁsyaṁ vai
muneḥ śrutvāsureśvaraḥ
pūjayitvā tataḥ prīta
āmantrya prayayau gṛham
śrī-nāradaḥ uvāca — Śrī Nārada Muni said; dharmam — the occupational duty; pāramahaṁsyam — of the paramahaṁsas, the most perfect human beings; vai — indeed; muneḥ — from the saintly person; śrutvā — thus hearing; asura-īśvaraḥ — the King of the asuras, Prahlāda Mahārāja; pūjayitvā — by worshiping the saintly person; tataḥ — thereafter; prītaḥ — being very pleased; āmantrya — taking permission; prayayau — left that place; gṛham — for his home.
Nārada Muni continued: After Prahlāda Mahārāja, the King of the demons, heard these instructions from the saint, he understood the occupational duties of a perfect person [paramahaṁsa]. Thus he duly worshiped the saint, took his permission and then left for his own home.
As quoted in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 8.128), Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:
kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei ‘guru’ haya
A guru, or spiritual master, can be anyone who is well conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore although Prahlāda Mahārāja was a gṛhastha ruling over the demons, he was a paramahaṁsa, the best of human beings, and thus he is our guru. In the list of gurus, or authorities, Prahlāda Mahārāja’s name is therefore mentioned:
svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ
kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ
prahlādo janako bhīṣmo
balir vaiyāsakir vayam
(Bhāg. 6.3.20)
The conclusion is that a paramahaṁsa is an exalted devotee (bhagavat-priya). Such a paramahaṁsa may be in any stage of life — brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsa — and be equally liberated and exalted.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Thirteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Behavior of a Perfect Person.”