Shloka 40
Vidura’s Questions on Devotion and Sarga; Maitreya Begins the Account of Creation
धातर्यदस्मिन् भव ईश जीवा- स्तापत्रयेणाभिहता न शर्म । आत्मन्लभन्ते भगवंस्तवाङ्घ्रि- च्छायां सविद्यामत आश्रयेम ॥ ४० ॥
dhātar yad asmin bhava īśa jīvās tāpa-trayeṇābhihatā na śarma ātman labhante bhagavaṁs tavāṅghri- cchāyāṁ sa-vidyām ata āśrayema
ឱព្រះបិតា ឱព្រះអម្ចាស់ សត្វមានជីវិតក្នុងភពវត្ថុត្រូវទុក្ខបីប្រភេទគ្របសង្កត់ ដូច្នេះមិនអាចរកសុខបានឡើយ។ ហេតុនេះ ឱភគវាន យើងខ្ញុំសូមជ្រកក្រោមស្រមោលព្រះបាទផ្កាឈូករបស់ព្រះអង្គ ដែលពេញដោយប្រាជ្ញា; យើងខ្ញុំក៏ចូលទៅកាន់សរណៈនោះដែរ។
The way of devotional service is neither sentimental nor mundane. It is the path of reality by which the living entity can attain the transcendental happiness of being freed from the three kinds of material miseries — miseries arising from the body and mind, from other living entities and from natural disturbances. Everyone who is conditioned by material existence — whether he be a man or beast or demigod or bird — must suffer from ādhyātmika (bodily or mental) pains, ādhibhautika pains (those offered by living creatures), and ādhidaivika pains (those due to supernatural disturbances). His happiness is nothing but a hard struggle to get free from the miseries of conditional life. But there is only one way he can be rescued, and that is by accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse states that conditioned souls in material existence are afflicted by the threefold miseries and cannot find real peace there; lasting relief comes by taking shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet with spiritual knowledge.
Vidura approaches Maitreya seeking transcendental understanding, acknowledging that worldly life offers no true shelter from suffering and that only devotion and knowledge at the Lord’s feet can give real protection.
Center daily life on bhakti and sambandha-jñāna—regular hearing/chanting, prayerful dependence on the Lord, and learning Bhagavatam teachings—so peace is sought in divine shelter rather than unstable external conditions.