Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.12.8
Mukti· LiberationChoose Remembrance Above Riches and Liberation
“The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, when thus asked to accept a benediction from Kuvera the Yakṣarāja [King of the Yakṣas], Dhruva Mahārāja, that most elevated pure devotee, who was an intelligent and thoughtful king, begged that he might have unflinching faith in and remembrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for thus a person can cross over the ocean of nescience very easily, although it is very difficult for others to cross.”
What the purport teaches
- Dhruva Mahārāja asked for unflinching faith in and remembrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such remembrance enables one to cross the otherwise difficult ocean of ignorance.
- Constant remembrance and devotional service surpass even liberation. This higher goal is called pañcama-puruṣārtha, before which liberation becomes insignificant to the devotee.
- Dhruva showed great intelligence by declining the riches Kuvera could offer. His choice shows that taking to devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, requires real intelligence.
Try this today
Offer a short prayer today for unflinching faith in and remembrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Ask yourself
What does my most cherished wish reveal about the goal I am choosing?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.