Personal Characteristic And Behaviour Of Rsabhadeva

Personal Characteristic And Behaviour Of Rsabhadeva

Being an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Rsabhadeva was fully independent. His form was spiritual, eternal and full of transcendental bliss. He was never touched by the four principles of material misery (birth, death, old age and disease). Nor was He ever materially attached. He was always equipoised, and saw everyone on the same level. He was unhappy to see others unhappy, as He was the well-wisher of all living entities. Although He was a perfect personality, the Supreme Lord and controller of all, He nonetheless acted as if He were an ordinary conditioned soul. He strictly followed the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma and acted accordingly. Over the course of time, the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma had become neglected; therefore through His personal characteristics and behavior, He taught the ignorant public how to perform duties within the varṇāśrama system. In this way He regulated the household life of general populace, enabling them to develop religion and economic well-being and to attain reputations, sons and daughters, material pleasure and finally eternal life. Through His instructions on following the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma, He showed how people could remain as householders and at the same time become perfect. Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow. Although Lord Rsabhadeva knew all confidential Vedic knowledge, which includes instructions on all occupational duties, He still maintained Himself as a kṣatriya and followed the instructions of the brāhmaṇas as they related to mind control, sense control, tolerance and so on. Thus He ruled the people according to the system of varṇāśrama-dharma, which enjoins that the brāhmaṇas instruct the kṣatriyas and the kṣatriyas administer the state through the vaiśyas and śūdras. Lord Rsabhadeva performed all kinds of sacrifices one hundred times according to the instructions of the Vedic literatures. Thus He satisfied Lord Vishnu in every respect. All the rituals were enriched by first-class ingredients. They were executed in holy places according to the proper time and by priests who were all young and faithful. In this way Lord Vishnu was worshiped, and the prasāda was offered to all the demigods. Thus the functions and festivals were all successful. No one likes to possess anything that is like a will-o’-the-wisp or a flower in the sky, for everyone knows very well that such things do not exist. When Lord Rsabhadeva ruled this planet of Bhāratavarṣa, even common men did not want to ask for anything, at any time or by any means. This was because everyone was completely satisfied at heart. The people were absorbed in great affection for the King and since this affection was always growing they were never inclined to ask for anything. Once while touring the world, Lord Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Lord, reached a place known as Brahmavarta. At that place was a great conference of learned brāhmaṇas, and all the King’s sons attentively heard the instructions of the brāhmaṇas there. At that assembly, within the hearing of the citizens, Rsabhadeva also instructed His sons, although they were already very wellbehaved, devoted and qualified. He instructed them so that in the future they could perfectly rule the world.

— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (BhāgavataPurāṇa) » Canto 5: The Creative Impetus » Chapter 4: The Characteristics of Ṛṣabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead » Verses: 1-19.