Shloka 68
Nābhāga’s Inheritance, Śiva’s Verdict, and the Rise of Ambarīṣa—Prelude to Durvāsā’s Offense
साधवो हृदयं मह्यं साधूनां हृदयं त्वहम् । मदन्यत् ते न जानन्ति नाहं तेभ्यो मनागपि ॥ ६८ ॥
sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁ sādhūnāṁ hṛdayaṁ tv aham mad-anyat te na jānanti nāhaṁ tebhyo manāg api
The pure devotee always dwells in the core of My heart, and I always dwell in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees know nothing but Me, and I know no one but them, not even slightly.
Since Durvāsā Muni wanted to chastise Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, it is to be understood that he wanted to give pain to the heart of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the Lord says, sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyam: “The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart.” The Lord’s feelings are like those of a father, who feels pain when his child is in pain. Therefore, offenses at the lotus feet of a devotee are serious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has very strongly recommended that one not commit any offense at the lotus feet of a devotee. Such offenses are compared to a mad elephant because when a mad elephant enters a garden it causes devastation. Therefore one should be extremely careful not to commit offenses at the lotus feet of a pure devotee. Actually Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was not at all at fault; Durvāsā Muni unnecessarily wanted to chastise him on flimsy grounds. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa wanted to complete the Ekādaśī-pāraṇa as part of devotional service to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore he drank a little water. But although Durvāsā Muni was a great mystic brāhmaṇa, he did not know what is what. That is the difference between a pure devotee and a so-called learned scholar of Vedic knowledge. The devotees, being always situated in the core of the Lord’s heart, surely get all instructions directly from the Lord, as confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (10.11) :
FAQs
This verse states that the Lord considers His devotees to be His very heart, and He resides in their hearts—showing an intimate, mutual bond established by pure bhakti.
Durvāsā offended King Ambarīṣa, a pure devotee, and was chased by the Sudarśana cakra. When Durvāsā sought refuge, Viṣṇu explained that He is especially devoted to His sādhus and does not abandon them—so Durvāsā must seek forgiveness from Ambarīṣa.
Value and serve sincere devotees, avoid offenses (especially to devotees), and cultivate exclusive devotion—making remembrance of the Lord central, as the sādhus “know nothing apart from Him.”