# SB 1.12.29 > इति राज्ञ उपादिश्य विप्रा जातककोविदाः । > लब्धापचितयः सर्वे प्रतिजग्मुः स्वकान्गृहान् ॥२९॥ ## Text > iti rājña upādiśya > viprā jātaka-kovidāḥ > labdhāpacitayaḥ sarve > pratijagmuḥ svakān gṛhān ## Synonyms *iti*—thus; *rājñe*—unto the King; *upādiśya*—having advised; *viprāḥ*—persons well versed in the *Vedas*; *jātaka*-*kovidāḥ*—persons expert in astrology and in the performance of birth ceremonies; *labdha*-*apacitayaḥ*—those who had received sumptuously as remuneration; *sarve*—all of them; *pratijagmuḥ*—went back; *svakān*—their own; *gṛhān*—houses. ## Translation **Thus those who were expert in astrological knowledge and in performance of the birth ceremony instructed King Yudhiṣṭhira about the future history of his child. Then, being sumptuously remunerated, they all returned to their respective homes.** ## Purport The *Vedas* are the storehouse of knowledge, both material and spiritual. But such knowledge aims at perfection of self-realization. In other words, the *Vedas* are the guides for the civilized man in every respect. Since human life is the opportunity to get free from all material miseries, it is properly guided by the knowledge of the *Vedas,* in the matters of both material needs and spiritual salvation. The specific intelligent class of men who were devoted particularly to the knowledge of the *Vedas* were called the *vipras,* or the graduates of the Vedic knowledge. There are different branches of knowledge in the *Vedas,* of which astrology and pathology are two important branches necessary for the common man. So the intelligent men, generally known as the *brāhmaṇas,* took up all the different branches of Vedic knowledge to guide society. Even the department of military education (*Dhanur-veda*) was also taken up by such intelligent men, and the *vipras* were also teachers of this section of knowledge, as were Droṇācārya, Kṛpācārya, etc. The word *vipra* mentioned herein is significant. There is a little difference between the *vipras* and the *brāhmaṇas.* The *vipras* are those who are expert in *karma-kāṇḍa,* or fruitive activities, guiding the society towards fulfilling the material necessities of life, whereas the *brāhmaṇas* are expert in spiritual knowledge of transcendence. This department of knowledge is called *jñāna-kāṇḍa,* and above this there is the *upāsanā-kāṇḍa.* The culmination of *upāsanā-kāṇḍa* is the devotional service of the Lord Viṣṇu, and when the *brāhmaṇas* achieve perfection, they are called Vaiṣṇavas. Viṣṇu worship is the highest of the modes of worship. Elevated *brāhmaṇas* are Vaiṣṇavas engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and thus *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* which is the science of devotional service, is very dear to the Vaiṣṇavas. And as explained in the beginning of the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* it is the mature fruit of Vedic knowledge and is superior subject matter, above the three *kāṇḍas,* namely *karma, jñāna* and *upāsanā.* Amongst the *karma-kāṇḍa* experts, the *jātaka* expert *vipras* were good astrologers who could tell all the future history of a born child simply by the astral calculations of the time (lagna). Such expert *jātaka-vipras* were present during the birth of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and his grandfather, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, awarded the *vipras* sufficiently with gold, land, villages, grains and other valuable necessaries of life, which also include cows. There is a need of such *vipras* in the social structure, and it is the duty of the state to maintain them comfortably, as designed in the Vedic procedure. Such expert *vipras,* being sufficiently paid by the state, could give free service to the people in general, and thus this department of Vedic knowledge could be available for all.