Verse Text
hayaśīrṣīya-śrī-nārāyaṇa-vyūha-stave ca—
na dharmaṁ kāmam arthaṁ vā mokṣaṁ vā varadeśvara |
prārthaye tava pādābje dāsyam evābhikāmaye ||46||
tatraiva—
punaḥ punar varān ditsur viṣṇur muktiṁ na yācitaḥ |
bhaktir eva vṛtā yena prahlādaṁ taṁ namāmy ahaṁ ||47||
Translation
The Nārāyaṇa-vyūha-stava in the Hayaśīrṣa-paṣcarātra says: O Lord! Bestower of benedictions! I do not pray for dharma, kāma, artha or mokṣa. I desire only service at Your lotus feet. I offer my respects to Prahlāda, who asked only for devotion. He did not pray to Viṣṇu for liberation though Viṣṇu wanted to give many benedictions.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The less immediate object of action, Viṣṇu, becomes the subject of yācitaḥ, instead of mukti, as in the case of verbs starting with duh. [Note: Some verbs such as duh (to milk) and pracch (to request) can take two objects. Viṣṇuṁ na yācate varān: He does not ask Viṣṇu for a boon. In the passive, for yāc, the secondary object “Viṣṇu” becomes the subject. (Pāṇini 1.4.51) Verbs of similar meaning such as vṛ (to ask for) also can take two objects and should follow the same rule. However, in this case, the principal object bhakti becomes the subject, counter to the rule.] On the other hand, in the second line, bhakti, the main object of action becomes the subject of vṛtāḥ for emphasis. This is poetic license (to emphasize Viṣṇu and bhakti and denigrate mukti).
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
There is a passage in the Hayaśīrṣa Paṣcarātra which states, “My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, I do not want any resultant benediction from my religious life, nor do I want any economic development, nor do I want to enjoy sense gratification, nor liberation. I simply pray to be an eternal servant at Your lotus feet. Kindly oblige me and give me this benediction.”
In the same Hayaśīrṣa Paṣcarātra, after Nṛsiṁhadeva wanted to give benedictions to Prahlāda Mahārāja, Prahlāda did not accept any material benediction and simply asked the favor of the Lord to remain His eternal devotee.