Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 43
Pṛthu Mahārāja Meets the Four Kumāras: Bhakti as the Boat Across Saṁsāra
निष्पादितश्च कार्त्स्न्येन भगवद्भिर्घृणालुभि: । साधूच्छिष्टं हि मे सर्वमात्मना सह किं ददे ॥ ४३ ॥
niṣpāditaś ca kārtsnyena bhagavadbhir ghṛṇālubhiḥ sādhūcchiṣṭaṁ hi me sarvam ātmanā saha kiṁ dade
Bạch brāhmaṇa kính mến, các ngài cũng từ bi như chính Thượng Đế nên đã thi hành mệnh lệnh trọn vẹn. Vì vậy bổn phận của ta là dâng tặng điều gì đó; nhưng tất cả những gì ta có chỉ như phần dư của các bậc sādhū. Ta còn có thể dâng gì, kể cả chính bản thân ta?
The word sādhūcchiṣṭam is significant in this verse. Pṛthu Mahārāja got his kingdom from great saintly persons like Bhṛgu and others just as one gets remnants of food. After the death of King Vena, the whole world was bereft of a popular ruler. There were so many catastrophes occurring that the great saintly persons, headed by Bhṛgu, created the body of King Pṛthu out of the body of his dead father, King Vena. Since King Pṛthu was thus offered the kingdom by the virtue of the mercy of great saintly persons, he did not want to divide his kingdom among saints like the Kumāras. When a father is eating food, he may, out of compassion, offer the remnants of his food to his son. Although such food may be already chewed by the father, it cannot be offered to the father again. Pṛthu Mahārāja’s position was something like that: whatever he possessed had already been chewed, and therefore he could not offer it to the Kumāras. Indirectly, however, he offered everything he possessed to the Kumāras, and consequently they utilized his possessions in whatever way they liked. The next verse clarifies this matter.
FAQs
This verse shows Pṛthu Mahārāja’s humility: he feels everything he has is only the saints’ remnants, so he cannot truly repay or ‘give’ anything to pure devotees—even offering himself seems insufficient.
After receiving their association and instructions, Pṛthu recognizes the Kumāras as fully self-satisfied, compassionate devotees; he therefore expresses gratitude and the understanding that their mercy, not his gifts, is the real wealth.
Approach genuine spiritual teachers and devotees with gratitude and service-mindedness, dropping pride; see your abilities and possessions as meant for service, not as tools to claim superiority or ‘purchase’ spiritual blessings.