सत्याशिषो हि भगवंस्तव पादपद्म-
माशीस्तथानुभजत: पुरुषार्थमूर्ते: ।
अप्येवमर्य भगवान्परिपाति दीनान्
वाश्रेव वत्सकमनुग्रहकातरोऽस्मान् ॥
satyāśiṣo hi bhagavaṁs tava pāda-padmam
āśīs tathānubhajataḥ puruṣārtha-mūrteḥ |
apy evam arya bhagavān paripāti dīnān
vāśreva vatsakam anugraha-kātaro’smān ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.9.17; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 6)
“[Dhruva Mahārāja:] O Bhagavān! For those who in this [aforementioned] manner continuously worship [you], the lotus feet of you who are the embodiment of the ultimate goal (puruṣārtha-mūrti) are certainly the true blessing in comparison to [all other] blessings. Although this is so, O Master, O Bhagavān, you protect us, who are lowly, like a cow anxious to nurture a new-born calf.”
Commentary
sakāma-bhajanād api mokṣam āśāsāna āha—he bhagavan! puruṣārthaḥ paramānandaḥ sa eva mūrtir yasya tasya eva pāda-padmam | āśiṣo rājyādeḥ sakāśāt satyā āśīḥ paramārtha-phalam | hi niścitam | kasya? tathā tena prakāreṇa tvam eva puruṣārtha ity evaṁ niṣkāmatayā anubhajataḥ | yadyapy evaṁ tathāpi he arya he svāmin dīnān sakāmān apy asmān bhagavān bhavān paripāti saṁsāra-bhayād rakṣaty eva | yataḥ, anugrahe hitācaraṇe kātaraḥ para-vaśaḥ | yathā nava-prasūtā vāśrā dhenur vatsaṁ kṣīraṁ pāyayati, vṛkādibhyo rakṣati ca, tadvat |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā; cited partially in Prīti Sandarbha: 6)
“Hoping for liberation even from worship with desire (sakāma-bhajana), he [i.e., Dhruva] says: O Bhagavān! The lotus feet of you whose body is the ultimate goal (paramārtha), that is, the highest bliss, are the true blessing, that is, the fruit which is the ultimate goal (paramārtha), in comparison to the blessings of [being given] a kingdom and so forth. [The word] Hi is in the sense of certainty. For whom [is this so]? For those who continuously worship [you] ‘in this manner’ (tathā), that is, with desirelessness in accord with [the conviction], ‘You alone are the puruṣārtha.’ Although this is so, still, ‘O Master’ (Arya), that is, ‘O Svāmī,’ you protect we who are lowly, that is, even we who have desires, meaning, you verily guard [us] from the fear of saṁsāra, just as a cow nurses a new-born calf with milk and protects [it] from wolves and so forth, being anxious, that is, feeling compelled, to nurture [it], that is, act for [its] benefit.”
tasmāt tvad-rūpasya svarūpa-pūrṇa-paramānanda-rūpatvāt parama-puruṣārthas tvam eveti sādhūktaṁ ‘yā nirvṛtir’ ity ādikam ity āha—satyeti |
(Excerpt from Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā)
“‘Therefore, because of your form‘s being by nature the original, complete highest bliss, you alone are the supreme puruṣārtha.’ On account of this [conclusion], and account of the rightful statement yā nirvṛtis … [i.e., SB 4.9.10], he [i.e., Dhruva] speaks this verse (satyāśiṣo …).”
nanu bho bālaka! satyam eva tvaṁ mat-svarūpaṁ jānāsy eva, kintu tava sāmpratika-niṣkāmatve’pi yathā pūrva-saṅkalpam eva phalam ahaṁ dāsyāmi gṛhāṇeti, tatra svasyājñatvaṁ vivṛṇvan prema-mādhuryam āśāsāna āha—satyeti | he bhagavaṁs tava pāda-padmam eva āśiṣo rājyādeḥ sakāśāt satyā āśīḥ paramārtha-phalam | kasya? tathā tena prakāreṇa tvam eva puruṣārtha-mūrtir ity evaṁ niṣkāmatayā anv anubhajataḥ, evam api dīnān asmān kṛta-sakāma-bhajanān api paripāti niṣkāma-prāpya-pāda-padma-kiñcin-mādhurya-dānenety arthaḥ | tatra hetuḥ—anugraha-kātaraḥ, bālatvād yadyapy ayaṁ mac-chuddha-bhaktiṁ na jānāti, tad api tat-phalaṁ sva-mādhuryam imam āsvādayāmīti buddhyety arthaḥ | vāśrā dhenur yathā vatsakam ajñaṁ svam abhajantam api dugdhaṁ pāyayati vṛkādibhyo rakṣati ca, tadvan māṁ sva-caraṇa-bhakti-mādhuryam āsvādayatu, sakāmatvādibhyo bhakti-vighnebhyo rakṣatu ca iti bhāvaḥ |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“[Śrī Bhagavān may now say to Dhruva:] ‘Well, O boy! It is certainly true: you certainly know my nature (svarūpa). Even though you are now desireless (niṣkāma), I shall give you a result in accord with your prior resolve [i.e., your desire to attain a kingdom greater than your father’s]. Accept it.’ In response to this, he [i.e., Dhruva] describes his own ignorance and, hoping for the sweetness (mādhurya) of prema, he speaks this verse (satyāśiṣo …). O Bhagavān! Your lotus feet are the true blessing in comparison to the blessings of a kingdom and so forth, that is, [they are] the result that is the ultimate goal (paramārtha). For whom [is this so]? For those who continuously worship [you] ‘in this manner’ (tathā), that is, with desirelessness in accord with [the conviction], ‘You alone are the puruṣārtha.’ Although this is so, you protect, that is, you bestow upon even we who are lowly, that is, even we who have performed desirous worship (sakāma-bhajana), some of the sweetness of your lotus feet, which [otherwise] is attainable [only] by those who are desireless. The cause in this regard is that you are anxious to nurture [me, your bhakta] with the mentality, ‘Although he does not understand pure bhakti to me because of [his] being [just] a boy, still I will cause him to taste the result of that [i.e., of pure bhakti], this sweetness of myself.’ This is the meaning. As a mother cow nurses a calf with milk and protects [it] from wolves and so forth even though [the calf is] ignorant and does not serve her, so may you cause me to taste the sweetness of bhakti to your own feet, and may you protect [me] from obstacles to bhakti, such as being desirous and so forth. This is the purport.”