The right disciple cannot be the one who is tempted or scared or defeated easily by the world. And that’s why it holds significance that these people—you know, Shaunak and Janaka and many others—were kings.
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Acharya Prashant: A few things about discipleship here: one, discipleship is a ripening. It is valuable. It cannot arbitrarily come to anybody with any kind of mind or any kind of attitude. The Upanishadic tradition is full of worldly and materially successful and accomplished people going to the sages. We have to see that firstly these are talented and industrious people. They are successful kings and lords. They know the ways of the world. They know how to win the world. At least, they are not victims of others’ shrewdness and their own indolence or dullness.
These are the two things that prevent a person from being worldly successful, or rather make a person the slave of the world: first is, if you are so naive or ignorant or greedy that others overwhelm you, over-smart you, overpower you by either tempting you or by defeating you with their efficiency, and industriousness, effortfulness, or by simply making a fool of you, then this is the likely, first reason you are not successful in the world—others are able to deceive you. The second reason is inner. Inwardly, you are slothful, lazy, a victim to your own tendencies that no well-directed effort arises from you. So how will you do anything worthwhile in the world?
Now, it is not very significant that those who often came to the sages were kings. What is very significant is that those who came to the sages did not carry either of the two follies we just discussed. Two follies: one, they were not so naive that the world could take them for a ride. They knew the ways of
