Devanagari
दुराराध्यं समाराध्य विष्णुं सर्वेश्वरेश्वरम् ।
यो वृणीते मनोग्राह्यमसत्त्वात् कुमनीष्यसौ ॥ ११ ॥
Verse text
durārdhyaṁ samārādhya
viṣṇuṁ sarveśvareśvaram
yo vṛṇīte mano-grāhyam
asattvāt kumanīṣy asau
Synonyms
durārādhyam
—
rarely worshiped
;
samārādhya
—
fully worshiping
;
viṣṇum
—
Lord Viṣṇu
;
sarva
—
of all
;
īśvara
—
controllers
;
īśvaram
—
the supreme controller
;
yaḥ
—
who
;
vṛṇīte
—
chooses as a benediction
;
manaḥ
—
to the mind
;
grāhyam
—
that which is accessible, namely sense gratification
;
asattvāt
—
because of its insignificance
;
kumanīṣī
—
unintelligent
;
asau
—
that person .
Translation
Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord of all lords, is ordinarily difficult to approach. One who has properly worshiped Him and then chooses the benediction of mundane sense gratification is certainly of poor intelligence, for he is satisfied with an insignificant result.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord of all lords, is ordinarily difficult to approach. One who has properly worshiped Him and then chooses the benediction of mundane sense gratification is certainly of poor intelligence, for he is satisfied with an insignificant result.
KB 10.48.11
There is a warning in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that Kṛṣṇa is not very easily worshiped, for He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the chief among the viṣṇu-tattvas. To worship Kṛṣṇa or have association with Him is not very easy. Specifically, there is a warning for devotees attracted to Kṛṣṇa through conjugal love: it is not good for them to desire sense gratification by direct association with Kṛṣṇa. Actually, the activities of sense gratification are material. In the spiritual world there are symptoms like kissing and embracing, but there is no sense-gratificatory process as it exists in the material world. This warning is specifically for those known as sahajiyās, who take it for granted that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary human being. They desire to enjoy sex life with Him in a perverted way. In a spiritual relationship, sense gratification is most insignificant. Anyone who desires a relationship of perverted sense gratification with Kṛṣṇa must be considered less intelligent. His mentality requires to be reformed.
Purport
It is clear from the commentaries of the
ācāryas
that the story of Trivakrā is to be understood on two levels. On the one hand, she is understood to be a liberated soul, directly associating with the Lord and participating in His pastimes. On the other hand, her conduct is clearly meant to teach a lesson about what not to do in relation with Lord Kṛṣṇa. Since all of the Lord’s pastimes are not only blissful but also didactic, there is no real contradiction in this pastime, since Trivakrā’s purity and her bad example take place on two distinct levels. Arjuna is also considered a pure devotee, yet by initially disobeying Kṛṣṇa’s instruction to fight, he also showed an example of what not to do. However, such “bad examples” always have happy endings in the blissful association of the Absolute Truth, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In relation to this incident, this verse gives instruction those persons worshiping the lord in the role of a lover. T hat person, who in worshiping Krsna, prays for material happiness, is a fool. However, with the intent to render pleasure to Krsna’s senses completely, if one also gets happiness in the process, that is not a fault. It should be understood that only if the intense desire (as a lover) is directed with pure intent of service for pleasure of Krsna alone, does it destroys ones material desire and illusion.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
After finishing the story of Kubjā in order to dispel criticism because Kubjā appeared to be a materialistic woman, the Lord is praised. Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, perfect Svayam Bhagavān (viṣṇum) and is the source of appearance for the puruṣa avatāras such as Mahā-viṣṇu (sarveśvareśvaram). Another version has sarva-vareśam, the person who can award all benedictions including liberation and bhakti. Therefore he is difficult to attain. In spite of this, if one worships him intensely (sam-ārādhya), and prays for objects pleasing to himself (mano-grāhyam), that person is of lowest intelligence because of accepting most insignificant, temporary, useless objects (asattvāt). The intelligent person (such as Kubjā) will pray for the Supreme Lord endowed with bliss that surpasses words and mind.
yā prītir avivekānāṁ viṣayeṣv anapāyinī /
tvām anusmarataḥ sā me hṛdayān māpasarpatu
As the unintelligent person is strong attracted to material objects, may remembrance of you be strong so as to never leave my heart. Viṣṇu Purāṇa
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
After finishing the story of Kubjā in order to dispel criticism because Kubjā appeared to be a materialistic woman, the Lord is praised. Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, perfect Svayam Bhagavān (viṣṇum) and is the source of appearance for the puruṣa avatāras such as Mahā-viṣṇu (sarveśvareśvaram). Another version has sarva-vareśam, the person who can award all benedictions including liberation and bhakti. Therefore he is difficult to attain. In spite of this, if one worships him intensely (sam-ārādhya), and prays for objects pleasing to himself (mano-grāhyam), that person is of lowest intelligence, because of accepting most insignificant, temporary, useless objects (asattvāt). The intelligent person (such as Kubjā) will pray for the Supreme Lord endowed with bliss that surpasses words and mind.
Since Kubjā did not have the same prema as the gopīs, and lacked a similar wealth of happiness, she is considered less than the gopīs, though her desire was fulfilled. She was less fortunate. Though she did attain direct association with the Lord, with the attainment of full prema as a result of her bhakti, she lacked their type of happiness because of difference in the bhāva, just as some persons, even seeing the Lord, do not experience full happiness. That is clear from the appearance of misery of persons like the wrestlers in Kaṁsa’s arena.