Shloka 32
Lord Viṣṇu Instructs Pṛthu: Forgiveness, Ātmā-Deha Viveka, and the Bhakti Ideal of Kingship
मैत्रेय उवाच इत्यादिराजेन नुत: स विश्वदृक् तमाह राजन्मयि भक्तिरस्तु ते । दिष्ट्येदृशी धीर्मयि ते कृता यया मायां मदीयां तरति स्म दुस्त्यजाम् ॥ ३२ ॥
maitreya uvāca ity ādi-rājena nutaḥ sa viśva-dṛk tam āha rājan mayi bhaktir astu te diṣṭyedṛśī dhīr mayi te kṛtā yayā māyāṁ madīyāṁ tarati sma dustyajām
Maitreya said: Having heard King Pṛthu’s prayer, the all-seeing Lord addressed him, “O King, may devotion (bhakti) to Me ever remain in you. Blessed is such pure intelligence, by which one crosses My māyā, so difficult to give up.”
This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, wherein the Lord claims that the illusory energy is insurmountable. No one can transcend the illusory energy of māyā by fruitive activity, speculative philosophy or mystic yoga. The only means for transcending illusory energy is devotional service, as the Lord Himself states: mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te ( Bg. 7.14 ). If one wants to cross over the ocean of material existence, there is no alternative than to take to devotional service. A devotee, therefore, should not care for any material position, whether in heaven or in hell. A pure devotee should always engage in the service of the Lord, for that is his real occupation. Simply by sticking to that position, one can overcome the stringent laws of material nature.
FAQs
This verse states that devotion to the Lord (bhakti) and steady intelligence directed toward Him enables one to cross the Lord’s own māyā, which is otherwise very difficult to overcome.
Because Pṛthu’s prayers reveal genuine God-centered understanding; the Lord recognizes his fixed intelligence toward Him and therefore grants the highest benediction—devotion—by which māyā is transcended.
Cultivate consistent devotion—hearing, chanting, prayer, and remembrance—so the mind becomes steady in God; that steadiness helps one detach from habits and illusions that are “difficult to give up.”