Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 27
Citraketu Offends Śiva, Is Cursed by Pārvatī, and Is Glorified as a Vaiṣṇava
श्रीरुद्र उवाच दृष्टवत्यसि सुश्रोणि हरेरद्भुतकर्मण: । माहात्म्यं भृत्यभृत्यानां नि:स्पृहाणां महात्मनाम् ॥ २७ ॥
śrī-rudra uvāca dṛṣṭavaty asi suśroṇi harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ māhātmyaṁ bhṛtya-bhṛtyānāṁ niḥspṛhāṇāṁ mahātmanām
พระศรีรุทระตรัสว่า—โอ้ปารวตีผู้เอวอ่อนงาม เจ้าได้เห็นความยิ่งใหญ่ของเหล่าไวษณพะ ผู้เป็นทาสของทาสแห่งพระหริผู้ทรงกิจอัศจรรย์แล้วหรือ? มหาตมะเหล่านั้นไร้ความใคร่ในสุขทางวัตถุ
Lord Śiva, the husband of Pārvatī, told his wife, “My dear Pārvatī, you are very beautiful in your bodily features. Certainly you are glorious. But I do not think that you can compete with the beauty and glory of devotees who have become servants of the servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Of course, Lord Śiva smiled when he joked with his wife in that way, for others cannot speak like that. “The Supreme Lord,” Śiva continued, “is always exalted in His activities, and here is another example of His wonderful influence upon King Citraketu, His devotee. Just see, although you cursed the King, he was not at all afraid or sorry. Rather, he offered respect to you, called you mother and accepted your curse, thinking himself faulty. He did not say anything in retaliation. This is the excellence of a devotee. By mildly tolerating your curse, he has certainly excelled the glory of your beauty and your power to curse him. I can impartially judge that this devotee, Citraketu, has defeated you and your excellence simply by becoming a pure devotee of the Lord.” As stated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, taror api sahiṣṇunā. Just like a tree, a devotee can tolerate all kinds of curses and reversals in life. This is the excellence of a devotee. Indirectly, Lord Śiva forbade Pārvatī to commit the mistake of cursing a devotee like Citraketu. He indicated that although she was powerful, the King, without showing any power, had excelled her power by his tolerance.
FAQs
This verse praises the “servants of the servants” as great souls, indicating that devotion expressed through humble service to devotees is highly glorious and spiritually powerful.
Śiva addresses Satī after events that reveal Hari’s extraordinary acts and the exalted nature of His devotees, emphasizing to her the supremacy of devotion and the greatness of selfless devotees.
Practice devotion without bargaining for results—serve God and His devotees with humility, reduce ego-driven motives, and focus on sincere duty and remembrance rather than personal gain.