Verse Text
caturthe śrī-dhruvoktau (4.9.10)—
yā nirvṛtis tanu-bhṛtāṁ tava pāda-padma-
dhyānād bhavaj-jana-kathā-śravaṇena vā syāt |
sā brahmaṇi sva-mahimany api nātha mā bhūt
kiṁ tv antakāsi-lulitāt patatāṁ vimānāt ||29||
Translation
In the Fourth Canto, Dhruva says: My Lord, the transcendental bliss derived from meditating upon Your lotus feet or hearing about Your glories from pure devotees is so unlimited that it is far beyond the stage of brahmānanda, wherein one thinks himself merged in the impersonal brahman as one with the Supreme. Since brahmānanda is also defeated by the transcendental bliss derived from devotional service, then what to speak of the temporary blissfulness of elevating oneself to the heavenly planets, which is ended by the separating sword of time? Although one may be elevated to the heavenly planets, he falls down in due course of time. SB 4.9.10
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The bliss (nirvṛtiḥ) which arises from meditating on (or hearing about, glorifying or serving) Your lotus feet or by hearing about (or meditating on, glorifying or serving) Your devotees can never be found in the bliss of brahman which is a form of Your greatness (sva-mahimani). Mahimā means “manifestation of greatness.” But you are also that greatness (since it comes from You), but that greatness is spread out everywhere (not in a form). Thus, since a person can attain bliss by being fixed on Your personal form, what bliss can there be in the brahman? Matsya says:
madīyaṁ mahimānaṁ ca paraṁ brahmeti śabditam
vetsyasy anugṛhītaṁ me sampraśnair vivṛtaṁ hṛdi
You will be thoroughly advised and favored by Me, and because of your inquiries, My greatness known as impersonal brahman will be manifest within your heart. Thus, you will know everything about Me. SB 8.24.38
From this statement, one can understand that the greatness of the Lord is expressed as the impersonal brahman. It is understood that there is no bliss for those who fall from the heavenly planets, which are cut by time (antakāsi-lulitāt). Moreover, speaking of results, serving the Lord has another additional fruit. The actual fruit of bhakti is only bhakti unto You. Bhakti, by being without desires, spontaneously bears its fruit as prema for the devotees.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
There is no such bliss in attaining Your brahman which possesses extraordinary greatness (sva-mahimani), what to speak of falling from a temporary airplane by the sword of death.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fourth Canto, Ninth Chapter, verse 10, King Dhruva says, “My dear Lord, the transcendental pleasure derived by meditation upon Your lotus feet, which is enjoyed by the pure devotees, cannot be approached by the transcendental pleasure derived by the impersonalists through self-realization. So how can the fruitive workers, who at most can aspire to promotion to the higher heavenly planets, understand You, and how can they be described as enjoying a happiness similar to the devotees’ happiness?”