Shloka 48
Viśvarūpa’s Death, Vṛtrāsura’s Manifestation, and the Devas’ Surrender to Nārāyaṇa
किं दुरापं मयि प्रीते तथापि विबुधर्षभा: । मय्येकान्तमतिर्नान्यन्मत्तो वाञ्छति तत्त्ववित् ॥ ४८ ॥
kiṁ durāpaṁ mayi prīte tathāpi vibudharṣabhāḥ mayy ekānta-matir nānyan matto vāñchati tattva-vit
हे विबुधर्षभाः, मयि प्रीते किं दुरापम्? तथापि यः तत्त्ववित् मय्येकान्तमति: सन्, स मत्तोऽन्यत् किञ्चिदपि न वाञ्छति, केवलं भक्तिसेवानवसरमेव याचते।
When the demigods finished offering their prayers, they anxiously waited for their enemy Vṛtrāsura to be killed. This means that the demigods are not pure devotees. Although without difficulty one can get anything he desires if the Lord is pleased, the demigods aspire for material profit by pleasing the Lord. The Lord wanted the demigods to pray for unalloyed devotional service, but instead they prayed for an opportunity to kill their enemy. This is the difference between a pure devotee and a devotee on the material platform. Indirectly, the Lord regretted that the demigods did not ask for pure devotional service.
FAQs
This verse says that even though God can grant anything when pleased, a true knower devoted exclusively to Him does not desire anything else from Him.
In the context of the devas’ crisis and Indra’s need for divine help, Lord Viṣṇu emphasizes that the highest devotion is not bargain-based; the perfected devotee seeks only Him, not rewards.
Serve and remember God as the goal itself—pray primarily for steadiness, sincerity, and devotion rather than for outcomes, and accept results as His arrangement.