Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 04, Chapter 22, Text 03

SB 4.22.3

tad-darsanodgatan pranan
pratyaditsur ivotthitah
sa-sadasyanugo vainya
indriyeso gunan iva
 
Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
 
Seeing the four Kumaras, Prthu Maharaja was greatly anxious to receive them. Therefore the King, with all his officers, very hastily got up, as anxiously as a conditioned soul whose senses are immediately attracted by the modes of material nature.
 
Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada:
 
In Bhagavad-gita (3.27) it is said:
 
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
 
Every conditioned soul is influenced by a particular mixture of the modes of material nature. As such, the conditioned soul is attracted to certain types of activity which he is forced to perform because he is completely under the influence of material nature. Here Prthu Maharaja is compared to such a conditioned soul, not because he was a conditioned soul but because he was so anxious to receive the Kumaras that it was as if without them he would have lost his life. The conditioned soul is attracted by the objects of sense gratification. His eyes are attracted to see beautiful things, his ears are attracted to hear nice music, his nose is attracted to enjoy the aroma of a nice flower, and his tongue is attracted to taste nice food. Similarly, all his other senses — his hands, his legs, his belly, his genitals, his mind, etc. — are so susceptible to the attraction of the objects of enjoyment that he cannot restrain himself. Prthu Maharaja, in the same way, could not restrain himself from receiving the four Kumaras, who were bright by dint of their spiritual progress, and thus not only he himself but also his officers and associates all received the four Kumaras. It is said, “Birds of a feather flock together.” In this world, everyone is attracted by a person of the same category. A drunkard is attracted to persons who are also drunkards. Similarly, a saintly person is attracted by other saintly persons. Prthu Maharaja was in the topmost position of spiritual advancement, and as such, he was attracted by the Kumaras, who were of the same category. It is said, therefore, that a man is known by his company.
Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 04, Chapter 22, Text 02
Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 04, Chapter 22, Text 04