Shloka 44
Vidura’s Questions on Devotion and Sarga; Maitreya Begins the Account of Creation
यत्सानुबन्धेऽसति देहगेहे ममाहमित्यूढदुराग्रहाणाम् । पुंसां सुदूरं वसतोऽपि पुर्यां भजेम तत्ते भगवन् पदाब्जम् ॥ ४४ ॥
yat sānubandhe ’sati deha-gehe mamāham ity ūḍha-durāgrahāṇām puṁsāṁ sudūraṁ vasato ’pi puryāṁ bhajema tat te bhagavan padābjam
O Lord, those entangled in the temporary body and in home and kin, bound by the stubborn notions of “mine” and “I,” cannot behold Your lotus feet though they are present within their very being. Yet let us take shelter of Your lotus feet.
The whole Vedic philosophy of life is that one should get rid of the material encagement of gross and subtle bodies, which only cause one to continue in a condemned life of miseries. This material body continues as long as one is not detached from the false conception of lording it over material nature. The impetus for lording it over material nature is the sense of “mine” and “I.” “I am the lord of all that I survey. So many things I possess, and I shall possess more and more. Who can be richer than I in wealth and education? I am the master, and I am God. Who else is there but me?” All these ideas reflect the philosophy of ahaṁ mama, the conception that “I am everything.” Persons conducted by such a conception of life can never get liberation from material bondage. But even a person perpetually condemned to the miseries of material existence can get relief from bondage if he simply agrees to hear only kṛṣṇa-kathā. In this Age of Kali, the process of hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā is the most effective means to gain release from unwanted family affection and thus find permanent freedom in life. The Age of Kali is full of sinful reactions, and people are more and more addicted to the qualities of this age, but simply by hearing and chanting of kṛṣṇa-kathā one is sure to go back to Godhead. Therefore, people should be trained to hear only kṛṣṇa-kathā — by all means — in order to get relief from all miseries.
FAQs
This verse says that due to attachment to the temporary body and home and the delusion of “I” and “mine,” a person can remain spiritually very distant from the Lord—even if outwardly close—until they take shelter of His lotus feet.
Maitreya is guiding Vidura toward pure devotion by exposing the root obstacle—false ego and possessiveness—and directing him to the remedy: bhajana, loving service to the Lord’s lotus feet.
Use body, home, and relationships as instruments of service rather than identity; reduce possessiveness, cultivate humility, and prioritize daily remembrance and devotion to the Lord’s lotus feet.