Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.16.21

asmai nṛ-pālāḥ kila tatra tatra

baliḿ hariṣyanti saloka-pālāḥ

maḿsyanta eṣāḿ striya ādi-rājaḿ

cakrāyudhaḿ tad-yaśa uddharantyaḥ

SYNONYMS

asmai — unto him; nṛ-pālāḥ — all the kings; kila — certainly; tatra tatra — here and there; balim — presentations; hariṣyanti — will offer; sa — with; loka-pālāḥ — the demigods; maḿsyante — will consider; eṣām — of these kings; striyaḥ — wives; ādi-rājam — the original king; cakra-āyudham — bearing the disc weapon; tat — his; yaśaḥ — reputation; uddharantyaḥ — carrying on.

TRANSLATION

When the King travels all over the world, other kings, as well as the demigods, will offer him all kinds of presentations. Their queens will also consider him the original king, who carries in His hands the emblems of club and disc, and will sing of his fame, for he will be as reputable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

As far as reputation is concerned, King Pṛthu is already known as the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word ādi-rājam means "the original king." The original king is Nārāyaṇa, or Lord Viṣṇu. People do not know that the original king, or Nārāyaṇa, is actually the protector of all living entities. As confirmed in the Vedas: eko bahūnāḿ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead is maintaining all living entities. The king, or naradeva, is His representative. As such, the king's duty is to personally supervise the distribution of wealth for the maintenance of all living entities. If he does so, he will be as reputable as Nārāyaṇa. As mentioned in this verse (tad-yaśaḥ), Pṛthu Mahārāja was actually carrying with him the reputation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he was actually reigning over the world in that capacity.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness