Śrīla Bhaktivedanta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Once, Nārada Ṛṣi went to
the royal palace of a great king. The king welcomed him, washed
his lotus feet, and began to offers prayers. Nārada Ṛṣi kindly
told him, “Now you are old. What will you ultimately gain from
your kingdom and money? And after death, what use will you have
for this palace? Can you take with you your kingdom, palace, queen,
sons, or any farthing from this place?”
The king answered, “No, I cannot take anything.”
Nārada asked, “If you cannot take anything from this world, why
are you working so hard day and night like a donkey? You work all
day and night without sleep.
“O King, no one can become happy by money, sons, daughters,
wives, husbands, or anyone or anything else. Try to realize that you
are soul, that the Supersoul resides in your body, and that you are
not this body. If you are the body, then why is it that when the soul
leaves the body, the body cannot speak, move, think, or perform any
activity?
“So don’t waste your time in material pursuits. Give your kingdom
to your son. Come with me at once to Vṛndāvana, to chant and
hear and meditate on the sweet pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. By doing this you
will achieve prema-bhakti very soon. You will be liberated from this
world, and you will go to serve Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana. There
is no death, no birth, no suffering there – only the eternal happiness
of serving Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.”
Hearing this, the King exclaimed, “My eyes have been opened. I
no longer want to be in this kingdom with my family. I will give this
up at once and come with you to Vṛndāvana. There, on the bank of
the Yamunā, I will somehow maintain my life by begging, and I will
do bhajana.”
Śrīpāda Mādhava Mahārāja: Śrīla Gurudeva is referring to King
Suvarṇa Sena.
Śrīla Bhaktivedanta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: The king did this, and after
some time he was liberated. In his next life, perhaps, he entered
into Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes and, after that,
he went to Goloka Vṛndāvana.
We must gradually give more and more importance to bhakti.
Worldly pursuits cannot save us. If you cannot give up worldly
attachments, then somehow maintain your life and at the same time
practice bhakti-yoga. By this, you will surely become happy.