Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.24.26

sa tān prapannārti-haro

bhagavān dharma-vatsalaḥ

dharma-jñān śīla-sampannān

prītaḥ prītān uvāca ha

SYNONYMS

saḥ — Lord Śiva; tān — them; prapanna-ārti-haraḥ — one who drives away all kinds of dangers; bhagavān — the lord; dharma-vatsalaḥ — very much fond of religious principles; dharma-jñān — persons who are aware of religious principles; śīla-sampannān — very well behaved; prītaḥ — being pleased; prītān — of very gentle behavior; uvāca — talked with them; ha — in the past.

TRANSLATION

Lord Śiva became very pleased with the Pracetās because generally Lord Śiva is the protector of pious persons and persons of gentle behavior. Being very much pleased with the princes, he began to speak as follows.

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, is known as bhakta-vatsala, and herein we find Lord Śiva described as dharma-vatsala. Of course, the word dharma-vatsala refers to a person who lives according to religious principles. That is understood. Nonetheless, these two words have additional significance. Sometimes Lord Śiva has to deal with persons who are in the modes of passion and ignorance. Such persons are not always very much religious and pious in their activities, but since they worship Lord Śiva for some material profit, they sometimes obey the religious principles. As soon as Lord Śiva sees that his devotees are following religious principles, he blesses them. The Pracetās, sons of Prācīnabarhi, were naturally very pious and gentle, and consequently Lord Śiva was immediately pleased with them. Lord Śiva could understand that the princes were sons of Vaiṣṇavas, and as such Lord Śiva offered prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead as follows.

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