Shloka 15
Uddhava’s Departure to Badarikāśrama and Vidura’s Turn Toward Maitreya
को न्वीश ते पादसरोजभाजां सुदुर्लभोऽर्थेषु चतुर्ष्वपीह । तथापि नाहं प्रवृणोमि भूमन् भवत्पदाम्भोजनिषेवणोत्सुक: ॥ १५ ॥
ko nv īśa te pāda-saroja-bhājāṁ sudurlabho ’rtheṣu caturṣv apīha tathāpi nāhaṁ pravṛṇomi bhūman bhavat-padāmbhoja-niṣevaṇotsukaḥ
O Lord, for those who lovingly serve Your lotus feet, nothing is difficult to attain among the four aims—dharma, wealth, pleasure, and liberation. Yet, O Great One, I choose only the eager service of Your lotus feet.
Those who are associated with the Lord in the Vaikuṇṭha planets achieve all the bodily features of the Lord and appear to be the same as Lord Viṣṇu. Such liberation is called sārūpya-mukti, which is one of the five kinds of liberation. The devotees engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord never accept the sāyujya-mukti, or merging in the rays of the Lord called the brahmajyoti. The devotees can achieve not only liberation but any success in the realm of religiosity, economic development or sense gratification up to the standard of the demigods in the heavenly planets. But such a pure devotee as Uddhava refuses to accept all such facilities. A pure devotee wants simply to engage in the service of the Lord and does not consider his own personal benefit.
FAQs
This verse says that for devotees sheltering Krishna’s lotus feet, even the four goals are not difficult to attain—yet a pure devotee does not seek them, preferring only loving service.
Vidura expresses śuddha-bhakti: liberation and other achievements are secondary; the devotee’s primary aspiration is continuous service (niṣevaṇa) to Bhagavan.
Prioritize daily devotional service—hearing, chanting, remembering, and serving—so that success, comfort, or even spiritual attainments don’t replace the central aim: pleasing Krishna.