Shloka 47
Vidura’s Questions on Devotion and Sarga; Maitreya Begins the Account of Creation
तथापरे चात्मसमाधियोग- बलेन जित्वा प्रकृतिं बलिष्ठाम् । त्वामेव धीरा: पुरुषं विशन्ति तेषां श्रम: स्यान्न तु सेवया ते ॥ ४७ ॥
tathāpare cātma-samādhi-yoga- balena jitvā prakṛtiṁ baliṣṭhām tvām eva dhīrāḥ puruṣaṁ viśanti teṣāṁ śramaḥ syān na tu sevayā te
Others too, steady in wisdom, by the power of self-samādhi conquer the mighty modes of nature and enter into You; yet for them there is great toil, whereas Your devotee simply serves You in bhakti and feels no such pain.
In terms of a labor of love and its returns, the bhaktas, or devotees of the Lord, always have priority over persons who are addicted to the association of jñānīs, or impersonalists, and yogīs, or mystics. The word apare (others) is very significant in this connection. “Others” refers to the jñānīs and the yogīs, whose only hope is to merge into the existence of the impersonal brahmajyoti. Although their destination is not so important in comparison to the destination of the devotees, the labor of the nondevotees is far greater than that of the bhaktas. One may suggest that there is sufficient labor for the devotees also in the matter of discharging devotional service. But that labor is compensated by the enhancement of transcendental pleasure. The devotees derive more transcendental pleasure while engaged continuously in the service of the Lord than when they have no such engagement. In the family combination of a man and a woman there is much labor and responsibility for both of them, yet when they are single they feel more trouble for want of their united activities.
FAQs
This verse states that even accomplished yogīs who conquer material nature reach the Lord through strenuous effort, whereas devotion (sevā) makes attainment natural and free from such toil.
In his instruction to Vidura, Maitreya highlights that realization through impersonal absorption can be difficult, but loving service to the Supreme Person is the easier, surer path to entering the Lord.
Alongside discipline and meditation, prioritize steady devotional practices—hearing Bhagavatam, chanting, and serving others in Krishna-consciousness—so spiritual progress is sustained by love rather than strain alone.