so’pi saṅkalpajaṁ viṣṇoḥ pāda-sevopasāditam |
prāpya saṅkalpa-nirvāṇaṁ nātiprīto’bhyagāt puram ||
vidura uvāca—
sudurlabhaṁ yat paramaṁ padaṁ harer
māyāvinas tac-caraṇārcanārjitam |
labdhvāpy asiddhārtham ivaika-janmanā
kathaṁ svam ātmānam amanyatārtha-vit ||
maitreya uvāca—
mātuḥ sapatnyā vāg-bāṇair hṛdi viddhas tu tān smaran |
naicchan mukti-pater muktiṁ paścāt tāpam upeyivān ||
dhruva uvāca—
samādhinā naika-bhavena yat padaṁ
viduḥ sanandādaya ūrdhva-retasaḥ |
māsair ahaṁ ṣaḍbhir amuṣya pādayoś
chāyām upetyāpagataḥ pṛthaṅ-matiḥ ||
aho bata mamānātmyaṁ manda-bhāgyasya paśyata |
bhava-cchidaḥ pāda-mūlaṁ gatvāyāce yad antavat ||
matir vidūṣitā devaiḥ patadbhir asahiṣṇubhiḥ |
yo nārada-vacas tathyaṁ nāgrāhiṣam asattamaḥ ||
daivīṁ māyām upāśritya prasupta iva bhinna-dṛk |
tapye dvitīye’py asati bhrātṛ-bhrātṛvya-hṛd-rujā ||
mayaitat prārthitaṁ vyarthaṁ cikitseva gatāyuṣi |
prasādya jagad-ātmānaṁ tapasā duṣprasādanam |
bhava-cchidam ayāce’haṁ bhavaṁ bhāgya-vivarjitaḥ ||
svārājyaṁ yacchato mauḍhyān māno me bhikṣito bata |
īśvarāt kṣīṇa-puṇyena phalī-kārān ivādhanaḥ ||
maitreya uvāca—
na vai mukundasya padāravindayo
rajo-juṣas tāta bhavādṛśā janāḥ |
vāñchanti tad-dāsyam ṛte’rtham ātmano
yadṛcchayā labdha-manaḥ-samṛddhayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.9.27–36)
“[Maitreya:] Even after attaining his desire—that which led [him] to [attaining] the service of Viṣṇu’s feet and because of which his resolve [to propitiate Viṣṇu by means of performing austere worship] was extinguished—he returned home not greatly satisfied.
“Vidura said: ‘Even after having attained in one birth that supreme abode of gracious Hari [i.e., the “vault of heaven” in the upper most region of the material universe], acquired through worship of his feet and most difficult to attain, why did he who was sagacious [i.e., able to discern between essence and non-essence and cognizant of the ultimate puruṣārtha] consider himself as though unsuccessful [i.e., to have not attained a worthwhile goal]?’
“Maitreya said: ‘Having been struck at heart by the arrows of the words of his stepmother and remembering them [i.e., those arrow-like words, at the time of his meeting with Śrī Bhagavān], he did not desire mukti [i.e., bhakti, that is, servitude to Śrī Bhagavān and the position of being one of his associates] from the Lord of mukti [i.e., from Śrī Bhagavān] and [thereafter thus] felt remorse.’
“Dhruva said: ‘After attaining in six months the shade of the feet of he who Sananda and other celibates realized by means of samādhi [only] over the course of many births, I went away [because of] being of separate interest [i.e., because my interest was in an object other than Śrī Bhagavān and thus he did not take me with him to his abode right then]. Oh! Alas! See the mindlessness of I of meager fortune! After having reached the base of the feet of the Destroyer of material existence, I begged for what is perishable. My mind was polluted by the falling, intolerant devas [i.e., by the devas who are inevitably subject to falling from their positions and intolerant of those who attain something beyond them]. Being most wicked, I did not accept the truth of Nārada’s word [when he told me to ignore the harsh remarks of my stepmother that initially prompted me to propitiate Bhagavān for the sake of attaining a kingdom greater than my father’s]. Taking shelter in Bhagavān’s māyā and, as though asleep, being a seer of difference even in a second unreality [i.e., seeing a puruṣārtha other than Śrī Bhagavān as though perceiving unrealities in a dream], I suffered from heartache because of an enemy who was a brother [i.e., I perceived my own brother to be my enemy even though he wasn’t inimical to me at all]. That which was requested [from Śrī Bhagavān] by me is useless, like treatment for a dead person. After propitiating the Self of the universe, the Destroyer of material existence who is difficult to propitiate by means of austerity, I begged for material existence [i.e., something of the realm of material existence that binds one within it], being devoid of fortune. From he who was offering [me] sovereignty [i.e., servitude to himself], honor [i.e., a kingdom and other causes of attaining worldly honor] was begged for by me out of foolishness like unhusked grain is [begged for] from an emperor by a poor man because of being devoid of merit.’
“Maitreya said: ‘My dear [i.e., dear Vidura], persons like you who delight in the dust of the lotus feet of Mukunda and whose well-being of mind comes about [just] by means of that which is attained of its own accord [i.e., those who are satisfied with and able to draw benefit from whatever it is they encounter] certainly do not desire any object of the self [i.e., any puruṣārtha] other than servitude to him.”
