Shloka 16
Nārāyaṇa’s Impartiality, Absorption in Kṛṣṇa, and the Jaya–Vijaya Descent
Prelude to Prahlāda’s History
श्रीयुधिष्ठिर उवाच अहो अत्यद्भुतं ह्येतद्दुर्लभैकान्तिनामपि । वासुदेवे परे तत्त्वे प्राप्तिश्चैद्यस्य विद्विष: ॥ १६ ॥
śrī-yudhiṣṭhira uvāca aho aty-adbhutaṁ hy etad durlabhaikāntinām api vāsudeve pare tattve prāptiś caidyasya vidviṣaḥ
શ્રી યુધિષ્ઠિરે કહ્યું—અહો, આ તો અતિ અદ્ભુત છે! જે સાયુજ્ય-મુક્તિ એકાંત ભક્તોને પણ દુર્લભ છે, તે વાસુદેવ પરમ તત્ત્વમાં ભગવાનના શત્રુ શિશુપાલને કેવી રીતે પ્રાપ્ત થઈ?
There are two classes of transcendentalists — the jñānīs and the bhaktas. The bhaktas do not aspire to merge into the existence of the Lord, but the jñānīs do. Śiśupāla, however, was neither a jñānī nor a bhakta, yet simply by envy of the Lord he attained an exalted position by merging into the Lord’s body. Certainly this was astonishing, and therefore Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira inquired about the cause for the Lord’s mysterious mercy to Śiśupāla.
FAQs
This verse highlights the astonishing principle that intense absorption in Vāsudeva—even through enmity—can lead to attaining the Lord, as seen in Śiśupāla’s case.
Because attaining Vāsudeva is said to be difficult even for one-pointed devotees, yet Śiśupāla, an avowed enemy, still reached the Supreme Truth.
Direct your mind steadily toward the Divine; sustained remembrance shapes destiny—so cultivate conscious, loving absorption in Kṛṣṇa rather than negative fixation.