Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4: “The Creation of the Fourth Order”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Nine

Dhruva Maharaja Returns Home

SB4.9.1

TEXT 1

maitreya uvaca

ta evam utsanna-bhaya urukrame

krtavanamah prayayus tri-vistapam

sahasrasirsapi tato garutmata

madhor vanam bhrtya-didrksaya gatah

SYNONYMS

maitreyah uvaca—the great sage Maitreya continued; te—the demigods; evam—thus; utsanna-bhayah—being freed from all fears; urukrame—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose actions are uncommon; krta-avanamah—they offered their obeisances; prayayuh—they returned; tri-vistapam—to their respective heavenly planets; sahasra-sirsa api—also the Personality of Godhead known as Sahasrasirsa; tatah—from there; garutmata—getting up on the back of Garuda; madhoh vanam—the forest known as Madhuvana; bhrtya—servant; didrksaya—wishing to see him; gatah—went.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Maitreya told Vidura: When the demigods were thus reassured by the Personality of Godhead, they were freed from all fears, and after offering their obeisances, they returned to their heavenly planets. Then the Lord, who is nondifferent from the Sahasrasirsa incarnation, got on the back of Garuda, who carried Him to the Madhuvana Forest to see His servant Dhruva.

PURPORT

The word sahasrasirsa refers to the Personality of Godhead known as Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Although the Lord appeared as Ksirodakasayi Visnu, He has been described here as Sahasrasirsa Visnu because He is nondifferent from Garbhodakasayi Visnu. According to Srila Sanatana Gosvami in his Bhagavatamrta, the Sahasrasirsa Personality of Godhead who appeared at that time was the incarnation known as Prsnigarbha. He created the planet known as Dhruvaloka for the habitation of Dhruva Maharaja.

SB4.9.2

TEXT 2

sa vai dhiya yoga-vipaka-tivraya

hrt-padma-kose sphuritam tadit-prabham

tirohitam sahasaivopalaksya

bahih-sthitam tad-avastham dadarsa

SYNONYMS

sah—Dhruva Maharaja; vai—also; dhiya—by meditation; yoga-vipaka-tivraya—on account of mature realization of the yogic process; hrt—the heart; padma-kose—on the lotus of; sphuritam—manifested; tadit-prabham—brilliant like lightning; tirohitam—having disappeared; sahasa—all of a sudden; eva—also; upalaksya—by observing; bahih-sthitam—externally situated; tat-avastham—in the same posture; dadarsa—was able to see.

TRANSLATION

The form of the Lord, which was brilliant like lightning and in which Dhruva Maharaja, in his mature yogic process, was fully absorbed in meditation, all of a sudden disappeared. Thus Dhruva was perturbed, and his meditation broke. But as soon as he opened his eyes he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally present, just as he had been seeing the Lord in his heart.

PURPORT

Because of his mature position in yogic meditation, Dhruva Maharaja was constantly observing the form of the Personality of Godhead within his heart, but all of a sudden, when the Supreme Personality disappeared from his heart, he thought that he had lost Him. Dhruva Maharaja was perturbed, but upon opening his eyes and breaking his meditation he saw the same form of the Lord before him. In the Brahma-samhita (5.38) it is said, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena: a saintly person who has developed love of Godhead by devotional service always sees the Lord’s transcendental form of Syamasundara. This Syamasundara form of the Lord within the heart of a devotee is not imaginary. When a devotee becomes mature in his prosecution of devotional service, he sees face to face the same Syamasundara he has thought of during the entire course of his devotional service. Since the Supreme Lord is absolute, the form within the heart of a devotee, the form in the temple and the original form in Vaikuntha, Vrndavana-dhama, are all the same; they are nondifferent from one another.

SB4.9.3

TEXT 3

tad-darsanenagata-sadhvasah ksitav

avandatangam vinamayya dandavat

drgbhyam prapasyan prapibann ivarbhakas

cumbann ivasyena bhujair ivaslisan

SYNONYMS

tat-darsanena—after seeing the Lord; agata-sadhvasah—Dhruva Maharaja, being greatly confused; ksitau—on the ground; avandata—offered obeisances; angam—his body; vinamayya—prostrating; dandavat—just like a rod; drgbhyam—with his eyes; prapasyan—looking upon; prapiban—drinking; iva—like; arbhakah—the boy; cumban—kissing; iva—like; asyena—with his mouth; bhujaih—with his arms; iva—like; aslisan—embracing.

TRANSLATION

When Dhruva Maharaja saw his Lord just in front of him, he was greatly agitated and offered Him obeisances and respect. He fell flat before Him like a rod and became absorbed in love of Godhead. Dhruva Maharaja, in ecstasy, looked upon the Lord as if he were drinking the Lord with his eyes, kissing the lotus feet of the Lord with his mouth, and embracing the Lord with his arms.

PURPORT

Naturally, when Dhruva Maharaja personally saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, he was very much agitated in awe and respect, and it appeared as if he were drinking the entire body of the Lord with his eyes. The devotee’s love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so intense that he wants to kiss the lotus feet of the Lord constantly, and he wants to touch the tips of the toes of the Lord and constantly embrace His lotus feet. All these features of Dhruva Maharaja’s bodily expression indicate that upon seeing the Lord face to face he developed the eight kinds of transcendental ecstasy in his body.

SB4.9.4

TEXT 4

sa tam vivaksantam atad-vidam harir

jnatvasya sarvasya ca hrdy avasthitah

krtanjalim brahmamayena kambuna

pasparsa balam krpaya kapole

SYNONYMS

sah—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tam—Dhruva Maharaja; vivaksantam—wanting to offer prayers describing His qualities; a-tat-vidam—not experienced at that; harih—the Personality of Godhead; jnatva—having understood; asya—of Dhruva Maharaja; sarvasya—of everyone; ca—and; hrdi—in the heart; avasthitah—being situated; krta-anjalim—situated with folded hands; brahma-mayena—just consistent with the words of the Vedic hymns; kambuna—with His conchshell; pasparsa—touched; balam—the boy; krpaya—out of causeless mercy; kapole—on the forehead.

TRANSLATION

Although Dhruva Maharaja was a small boy, he wanted to offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in suitable language. But because he was inexperienced, he could not adjust himself immediately. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being situated in everyone’s heart, could understand Dhruva Maharaja’s awkward position. Out of His causeless mercy He touched His conchshell to the forehead of Dhruva Maharaja, who stood before Him with folded hands.

PURPORT

Every devotee wants to chant the transcendental qualities of the Lord. Devotees are always interested in hearing about the Lord’s transcendental qualities, and they are always eager to glorify these qualities, but sometimes they feel inconvenienced by humbleness. The Personality of Godhead, being situated in everyone’s heart, specifically gives a devotee intelligence to describe Him. It is therefore understood that when a devotee writes or speaks about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his words are dictated by the Lord from within. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, Tenth Chapter: to those who constantly engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, the Lord, from within, dictates what to do next in order to serve Him. When Dhruva Maharaja felt hesitant, not knowing how to describe the Lord for want of sufficient experience, the Lord, out of His causeless mercy, touched His conchshell to Dhruva’s forehead, and he was transcendentally inspired. This transcendental inspiration is called brahma-maya because when one is thus inspired, the sound he produces exactly corresponds to the sound vibration of the Vedas. This is not the ordinary sound vibration of this material world. Therefore the sound vibration of the Hare Krsna mantra, although presented in the ordinary alphabet, should not be taken as mundane or material.

SB4.9.5

TEXT 5

sa vai tadaiva pratipaditam giram

daivim parijnata-paratma-nirnayah

tam bhakti-bhavo ’bhyagrnad asatvaram

parisrutoru-sravasam dhruva-ksitih

SYNONYMS

sah—Dhruva Maharaja; vai—certainly; tada—at that time; eva—just; pratipaditam—having attained; giram—speech; daivim—transcendental; parijnata—understood; para-atma—of the Supreme Soul; nirnayah—the conclusion; tam—to the Lord; bhakti-bhavah—situated in devotional service; abhyagrnat—offered prayers; asatvaram—without any hasty conclusion; parisruta—widely known; uru-sravasam—whose fame; dhruva-ksitih—Dhruva, whose planet would not be annihilated.

TRANSLATION

At that time Dhruva Maharaja became perfectly aware of the Vedic conclusion and understood the Absolute Truth and His relationship with all living entities. In accordance with the line of devotional service to the Supreme Lord, whose fame is widespread, Dhruva, who in the future would receive a planet which would never be annihilated, even during the time of dissolution, offered his deliberate and conclusive prayers.

PURPORT

There are many important items to be considered in this verse. First of all, the relationship between the Absolute Truth and the relative material and spiritual energies is here understood by a student who has complete knowledge of the Vedic literature. Dhruva Maharaja never went to any school or academic teacher to learn the Vedic conclusion, but because of his devotional service to the Lord, as soon as the Lord appeared and touched his forehead with His conchshell, automatically the entire Vedic conclusion was revealed to him. That is the process of understanding Vedic literature. One cannot understand it simply by academic learning. The Vedas indicate that only to one who has unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord as well as in the spiritual master is the Vedic conclusion revealed.

The example of Dhruva Maharaja is that he engaged himself in devotional service to the Lord according to the order of his spiritual master, Narada Muni. As a result of his rendering such devotional service with great determination and austerity, the Personality of Godhead personally manifested Himself before him. Dhruva was only a child. He wanted to offer nice prayers to the Lord, but because he lacked sufficient knowledge, he hesitated; but by the mercy of the Lord, as soon as the Lord’s conchshell touched his forehead, he became completely aware of the Vedic conclusion. That conclusion is based on proper understanding of the difference between jiva and Paramatma, the individual soul and the Supersoul. The individual soul is forever a servant of the Supersoul, and therefore his relationship with the Supersoul is to offer service. That is called bhakti-yoga, or bhakti-bhava. Dhruva Maharaja offered his prayers to the Lord not in the way of the impersonalist philosophers, but as a devotee. Therefore, it is clearly said here, bhakti-bhava. The only prayers worth offering are those offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose reputation is spread far and wide. Dhruva Maharaja wanted to have the kingdom of his father, but his father refused even to allow him to get on his lap. In order to fulfill his desire, the Lord had already created a planet known as the polestar, Dhruvaloka, which was never to be annihilated even at the time of the dissolution of the universe. Dhruva Maharaja attained this perfection not by acting hastily, but by patiently executing the order of his spiritual master, and therefore he became so successful that he saw the Lord face to face. Now he was further enabled, by the causeless mercy of the Lord, to offer fitting prayers to the Lord. To glorify or offer prayers unto the Supreme, one needs the Lord’s mercy. One cannot write to glorify the Lord unless one is endowed with His causeless mercy.

SB4.9.6

TEXT 6

dhruva uvaca

yo ’ntah pravisya mama vacam imam prasuptam

sanjivayaty akhila-sakti-dharah sva-dhamna

anyams ca hasta-carana-sravana-tvag-adin

pranan namo bhagavate purusaya tubhyam

SYNONYMS

dhruvah uvaca—Dhruva Maharaja said; yah—the Supreme Lord who; antah—within; pravisya—entering; mama—my; vacam—words; imam—all these; prasuptam—which are all inactive or dead; sanjivayati—rejuvenates; akhila—universal; sakti—energy; dharah—possessing; sva-dhamna—by His internal potency; anyan ca—other limbs also; hasta—like hands; carana—legs; sravana—ears; tvak—skin; adin—and so on; pranan—life force; namah—let me offer my obeisances; bhagavate—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; purusaya—the Supreme Person; tubhyam—unto You.

TRANSLATION

Dhruva Maharaja said: My dear Lord, You are all-powerful. After entering within me, You have enlivened all my sleeping senses—my hands, legs, ears, touch sensation, life force and especially my power of speech. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

PURPORT

Dhruva Maharaja could understand very easily the difference between his condition before and after attaining spiritual realization and seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. He could understand that his life force and activities had been sleeping. Unless one comes to the spiritual platform, his bodily limbs, mind and other facilities within the body are understood to be sleeping. Unless one is spiritually situated, all his activities are taken as a dead man’s activities or ghostly activities. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has composed a song in which he addresses himself: “O living entity, get up! How long shall you sleep on the lap of maya? Now you have the opportunity of possessing a human form of body; now try to get up and realize yourself.” The Vedas also declare, “Get up! Get up! You have the opportunity, the boon of the human form of life—now realize yourself.” These are the Vedic injunctions.

Dhruva Maharaja actually experienced that upon enlightenment of his senses on the spiritual platform he could understand the essence of Vedic instruction—that the Supreme Godhead is the Supreme Person; He is not impersonal. Dhruva Maharaja could immediately understand this fact. He was aware that for a very long time he was practically sleeping, and he felt the impetus to glorify the Lord according to the Vedic conclusion. A mundane person cannot offer any prayer or glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because he has no realization of the Vedic conclusion.

When Dhruva Maharaja, therefore, found this difference within himself, he could immediately understand that it was because of the causeless mercy of the Lord. He offered obeisances to the Lord with great respect and reverence, completely understanding that the Lord’s favor was upon him. This spiritual enlivenment of Dhruva Maharaja’s senses and mind was due to the action of the internal potency of the Lord. In this verse, therefore, the word sva-dhamna means “by spiritual energy.” Spiritual enlightenment is possible by the mercy of the spiritual energy of the Lord. The chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is first addressed to the spiritual energy of the Lord, Hare. This spiritual energy acts when a living entity fully surrenders and accepts his position as an eternal servitor. When a person places himself at the disposal or order of the Supreme Lord, that is called sevonmukha; at that time the spiritual energy gradually reveals the Lord to him.

Without revelation by the spiritual energy, one is unable to offer prayers glorifying the Lord. Any amount of philosophical speculation or poetic expression by mundane persons is still considered to be the action and reaction of the material energy. When one is actually enlivened by the spiritual energy, all his senses become purified, and he engages only in the service of the Lord. At that time his hands, legs, ears, tongue, mind, genitals—everything—engage in the service of the Lord. Such an enlightened devotee no longer has any material activities, nor has he any interest in being materially engaged. This process of purifying the senses and engaging them in the service of the Lord is known as bhakti, or devotional service. In the beginning, the senses are engaged by the direction of the spiritual master and sastra, and after realization, when the same senses are purified, the engagement continues. The difference is that in the beginning the senses are engaged in a mechanical way, but after realization they are engaged in spiritual understanding.

SB4.9.7

TEXT 7

ekas tvam eva bhagavann idam atma-saktya

mayakhyayoru-gunaya mahad-ady-asesam

srstvanuvisya purusas tad-asad-gunesu

naneva darusu vibhavasuvad vibhasi

SYNONYMS

ekah—one; tvam—you; eva—certainly; bhagavan—O my Lord; idam—this material world; atma-saktya—by Your own potency; maya-akhyaya—of the name maya; uru—greatly powerful; gunaya—consisting of the modes of nature; mahat-adi—the mahat-tattva, etc.; asesam—unlimited; srstva—after creating; anuvisya—then after entering; purusah—the Supersoul; tat—of maya; asat-gunesu—into the temporarily manifested qualities; nana—variously; iva—as if; darusu—into pieces of wood; vibhavasu-vat—just like fire; vibhasi—You appear.

TRANSLATION

My Lord, You are the supreme one, but by Your different energies You appear differently in the spiritual and material worlds. You create the total energy of the material world by Your external potency, and after creation You enter within the material world as the Supersoul. You are the Supreme Person, and through the temporary modes of material nature You create varieties of manifestation, just as fire, entering into wood of different shapes, burns brilliantly in different varieties.

PURPORT

Dhruva Maharaja realized that the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, acts through His different energies, not that He becomes void or impersonal and thus becomes all-pervading. The Mayavadi philosopher thinks that the Absolute Truth, being spread throughout the cosmic manifestation, has no personal form. But here Dhruva Maharaja, upon realization of the Vedic conclusion, says, “You are spread all over the cosmic manifestation by Your energy.” This energy is basically spiritual, but because it acts in the material world temporarily, it is called maya, or illusory energy. In other words, for everyone but the devotees the Lord’s energy acts as external energy. Dhruva Maharaja could understand this fact very nicely, and he could understand also that the energy and the energetic are one and the same. The energy cannot be separated from the energetic.

The identity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the feature of Paramatma, or Supersoul, is admitted herein. His original, spiritual energy enlivens the material energy, and thus the dead body appears to have life force. Voidist philosophers think that under certain material conditions the symptoms of life occur in the material body, but the fact is that the material body cannot act on its own. Even a machine needs separate energy (electricity, steam, etc.). It is stated in this verse that the material energy acts in varieties of material bodies, just as fire burns differently in different wood according to the size and quality of the wood. In the case of devotees the same energy is transformed into spiritual energy; this is possible because the energy is originally spiritual, not material. As it is said, visnu-saktih para prokta [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. The original energy inspires a devotee, and thus he engages all his bodily limbs in the service of the Lord. The same energy, as external potency, engages the ordinary nondevotees in material activities for sense enjoyment. We should mark the difference between maya and sva-dhama—for devotees the sva-dhama acts, whereas in the case of nondevotees the maya energy acts.

SB4.9.8

TEXT 8

tvad-dattaya vayunayedam acasta visvam

supta-prabuddha iva natha bhavat-prapannah

tasyapavargya-saranam tava pada-mulam

vismaryate krta-vida katham arta-bandho

SYNONYMS

tvat-dattaya—given by You; vayunaya—by knowledge; idam—this; acasta—could see; visvam—whole universe; supta-prabuddhah—a man rising from sleep; iva—like; natha—O my Lord; bhavat-prapannah—Lord Brahma, who is surrendered unto You; tasya—his; apavargya—of persons desiring liberation; saranam—the shelter; tava—Your; pada-mulam—lotus feet; vismaryate—can be forgotten; krta-vida—by a learned person; katham—how; arta-bandho—O friend of the distressed.

TRANSLATION

O my master, Lord Brahma is fully surrendered unto You. In the beginning You gave him knowledge, and thus he could see and understand the entire universe, just as a person awakens from sleep and visualizes his immediate duties. You are the only shelter of all persons who desire liberation, and You are the friend of all who are distressed. How, therefore, can a learned person who has perfect knowledge ever forget You?

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be forgotten even for a moment by His surrendered devotees. The devotee understands that the Lord’s causeless mercy is beyond his estimation; he cannot know how much he is benefited by the grace of the Lord. The more a devotee engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, the more encouragement is supplied by the energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that to those who are constantly engaged in devotional service with love and affection, the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives intelligence from within, and thus they may make further progress. Being so encouraged, the devotee can never forget, at any moment, the Personality of Godhead. He always feels obliged to Him for having achieved increased power in devotional service by His grace. Saintly persons like Sanaka, Sanatana and Lord Brahma were able to see the entire universe, by the mercy of the Lord, through knowledge of the Lord. The example is given that a person may apparently abstain from sleep all day, but as long as he is not spiritually enlightened he is actually sleeping. He may sleep at night and perform his duties in the daytime, but as long as he does not come to the platform of working in spiritual enlightenment he is considered to be always sleeping. A devotee, therefore, never forgets the benefit derived from the Lord.

The Lord is addressed here as arta-bandhu, which means “friend of the distressed.” As stated in Bhagavad-gita, after many, many births of executing severe austerities in search of knowledge, one comes to the point of real knowledge and becomes wise when one surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Mayavadi philosopher, who does not surrender unto the Supreme Person, is understood to be lacking in real knowledge. The devotee in perfect knowledge cannot forget his obligation to the Lord at any moment.

SB4.9.9

TEXT 9

nunam vimusta-matayas tava mayaya te

ye tvam bhavapyaya-vimoksanam anya-hetoh

arcanti kalpaka-tarum kunapopabhogyam

icchanti yat sparsajam niraye ’pi nrnam

SYNONYMS

nunam—certainly; vimusta-matayah—those who have lost their right intelligence; tava—Your; mayaya—by the influence of the illusory energy; te—they; ye—who; tvam—You; bhava—from birth; apyaya—and death; vimoksanam—the cause of liberation; anya-hetoh—for other purposes; arcanti—worship; kalpaka-tarum—who are like the desire tree; kunapa—of this dead body; upabhogyam—sense gratification; icchanti—they desire; yat—that which; sparsa-jam—derived by touch sensation; niraye—in hell; api—even; nrnam—for persons.

TRANSLATION

Persons who worship You simply for the sense gratification of this bag of skin are certainly influenced by Your illusory energy. In spite of having You, who are like a desire tree and are the cause of liberation from birth and death, foolish persons, such as me, desire benedictions from You for sense gratification, which is available even for those who live in hellish conditions.

PURPORT

Dhruva Maharaja repented because he had come to the Lord to render devotional service for material profit. He here condemns his attitude. Only due to gross lack of knowledge does one worship the Lord for material profit or for sense gratification. The Lord is like a desire tree. Anyone can have whatever he desires from the Lord, but people in general do not know what kind of benediction they should ask from Him. Happiness derived from the touch of skin, or sensuous happiness, is present in the life of hogs and dogs. Such happiness is very insignificant. If a devotee worships the Lord for such insignificant happiness, he must be considered devoid of all knowledge.

SB4.9.10

TEXT 10

ya nirvrtis tanu-bhrtam tava pada-padma-

dhyanad bhavaj-jana-katha-sravanena va syat

sa brahmani sva-mahimany api natha ma bhut

kim tv antakasi-lulitat patatam vimanat

SYNONYMS

ya—that which; nirvrtih—bliss; tanu-bhrtam—of the embodied; tava—Your; pada-padma—lotus feet; dhyanat—from meditating upon; bhavat-jana—from Your intimate devotees; katha—topics; sravanena—by hearing; va—or; syat—comes into being; sa—that bliss; brahmani—in the impersonal Brahman; sva-mahimani—Your own magnificence; api—even; natha—O Lord; ma—never; bhut—exists; kim—what to speak of; tu—then; antaka-asi—by the sword of death; lulitat—being destroyed; patatam—of those who fall down; vimanat—from their airplanes.

TRANSLATION

My Lord, the transcendental bliss derived from meditating upon Your lotus feet or hearing about Your glories from pure devotees is so unlimited that it is far beyond the stage of brahmananda, wherein one thinks himself merged in the impersonal Brahman as one with the Supreme. Since brahmananda is also defeated by the transcendental bliss derived from devotional service, then what to speak of the temporary blissfulness of elevating oneself to the heavenly planets, which is ended by the separating sword of time? Although one may be elevated to the heavenly planets, he falls down in due course of time.

PURPORT

The transcendental bliss derived from devotional service, primarily from sravanam kirtanam, hearing and chanting, cannot be compared to the happiness derived by karmis by elevating themselves to the heavenly planets or by jnanis or yogis, who enjoy oneness with the supreme impersonal Brahman. Yogis generally meditate upon the transcendental form of Visnu, but devotees not only meditate upon Him but actually engage in the direct service of the Lord. In the previous verse we find the phrase bhavapyaya, which refers to birth and death. The Lord can give relief from the chain of birth and death. It is a misunderstanding to think, as do the monists, that when one gets relief from the process of birth and death he merges into the Supreme Brahman. Here it is clearly said that the transcendental bliss derived from sravanam kirtanam by pure devotees cannot be compared to brahmananda, or the impersonal conception of transcendental bliss derived by merging into the Absolute.

The position of karmis is still more degraded. Their aim is to elevate themselves to the higher planetary systems. It is said, yanti deva-vrata devan: persons who worship the demigods are elevated to the heavenly planets (Bg. 9.25). But elsewhere in Bhagavad-gita (9.21) we find, ksine punye martya-lokam visanti: those who are elevated to the higher planetary systems must come down again as soon as the results of their pious activities are exhausted. They are like the modern astronauts who go to the moon; as soon as their fuel is used up, they are obliged to come back down to this earth. As the modern astronauts who go to the moon or other heavenly planets by force of jet propulsion have to come down again after exhausting their fuel, so also do those who are elevated to the heavenly planets by force of yajnas and pious activities. Antakasi-lulitat: by the sword of time one is cut from his exalted position within this material world, and he comes down again. Dhruva Maharaja appreciated that the results of devotional service are far more valuable than merging into the Absolute or being elevated to the heavenly planets. The words patatam vimanat are very significant. Vimana means “airplane.” Those who are elevated to the heavenly planets are like airplanes, which drop when they run out of fuel.

SB4.9.11

TEXT 11

bhaktim muhuh pravahatam tvayi me prasango

bhuyad ananta mahatam amalasayanam

yenanjasolbanam uru-vyasanam bhavabdhim

nesye bhavad-guna-kathamrta-pana-mattah

SYNONYMS

bhaktim—devotional service; muhuh—constantly; pravahatam—of those who perform; tvayi—unto You; me—my; prasangah—intimate association; bhuyat—may it become; ananta—O unlimited; mahatam—of the great devotees; amala-asayanam—whose hearts are freed from material contamination; yena—by which; anjasa—easily; ulbanam—terrible; uru—great; vyasanam—full of dangers; bhava-abdhim—the ocean of material existence; nesye—I shall cross; bhavat—Your; guna—transcendental qualities; katha—pastimes; amrta—nectar, eternal; pana—by drinking; mattah—mad.

TRANSLATION

Dhruva Maharaja continued: O unlimited Lord, kindly bless me so that I may associate with great devotees who engage in Your transcendental loving service constantly, as the waves of a river constantly flow. Such transcendental devotees are completely situated in an uncontaminated state of life. By the process of devotional service I shall surely be able to cross the nescient ocean of material existence, which is filled with the waves of blazing, firelike dangers. It will be very easy for me, for I am becoming mad to hear about Your transcendental qualities and pastimes, which are eternally existent.

PURPORT

The significant point in Dhruva Maharaja’s statement is that he wanted the association of pure devotees. Transcendental devotional service cannot be complete and cannot be relishable without the association of devotees. We have therefore established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krishna Consciousness Society and yet engage in Krsna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is not possible. From this statement by Dhruva Maharaja it is clear that unless one is associated with devotees, his devotional service does not mature; it does not become distinct from material activities. The Lord says, satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah (Bhag. 3.25.25). Only in the association of pure devotees can the words of Lord Krsna be fully potent and relishable to the heart and ear. Dhruva Maharaja explicitly wanted the association of devotees. That association in devotional activities is just like the waves of an incessantly flowing river. In our Krishna Consciousness Society we have full engagement twenty-four hours a day. Every moment of our time is always busily engaged in the service of the Lord. This is called the incessant flow of devotional service.

A Mayavadi philosopher may question us, “You may be very happy in the association of devotees, but what is your plan for crossing the ocean of material existence?” Dhruva Maharaja’s answer is that it is not very difficult. He clearly says that this ocean can be crossed very easily if one simply becomes mad to hear the glories of the Lord. Bhavad-guna-katha: for anyone who persistently engages in hearing the topics of the Lord from Srimad Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta and who is actually addicted to this process, just as one becomes addicted to intoxicants, it is very easy to cross the nescience of material existence. The ocean of material nescience is compared to a blazing fire, but to a devotee this blazing fire is insignificant because he is completely absorbed in devotional service. Although the material world is blazing fire, to a devotee it appears full of pleasure (visvam purna-sukhayate).

The purport of this statement by Dhruva Maharaja is that devotional service in the association of devotees is the cause of the development of further devotional service. By devotional service only is one elevated to the transcendental planet Goloka Vrndavana, and there also there is only devotional service, for the activities of devotional service both in this world and in the spiritual world are one and the same. Devotional service does not change. The example of a mango can be given here. If one gets an unripe mango, it is still a mango, and when it is ripe it remains the same mango, but it has become more tasteful and relishable. Similarly, there is devotional service performed according to the direction of the spiritual master and the injunctions and regulative principles of sastra, and there is devotional service in the spiritual world, rendered directly in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they are both the same. There is no change. The difference is that one stage is unripe and the other is ripe and more relishable. It is possible to mature in devotional service only in the association of devotees.

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