FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.4.15

को न्वीश ते पादसरोजभाजां सुदुर्लभोऽर्थेषु चतुर्ष्वपीह । तथापि नाहं प्रवृणोमि भूमन् भवत्पदाम्भोजनिषेवणोत्सुक: ॥ १५ ॥
ko nv īśa te pāda-saroja-bhājāṁ
[ko nv eesha te paada-saroja-bhaajaam]
sudurlabho ’rtheṣu caturṣv apīha
[sudurlabho ’rtheshu chaturshv apeeha]
tathāpi nāhaṁ pravṛṇomi bhūman
[tathaapi naaham pravrinomi bhooman]
bhavat-padāmbhoja-niṣevaṇotsukaḥ
[bhavat-padaambhoja-nishevanotsukah]
Word-for-word
kaḥ nu īśa — O my Lord te — Your pāda-saroja-bhājām — of the devotees engaged in the transcendental loving service of Your lotus feet su-durlabhaḥ — very difficult to obtain artheṣu — in the matter of caturṣu — in the four objectives api — in spite of iha — in this world tathā api — yet na — do not aham — I pravṛṇomi — prefer bhūman — O great one bhavat — Your pada-ambhoja — lotus feet niṣevaṇa-utsukaḥ — anxious to serve.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ko nv īśa te pāda-saroja-bhājāṁ
sudurlabho ’rtheṣu caturṣv apīha
tathāpi nāhaṁ pravṛṇomi bhūman
bhavat-padāmbhoja-niṣevaṇotsukaḥ
kaḥ nu īśa
O my Lord
te
Your
pāda-saroja-bhājām
of the devotees engaged in the transcendental loving service of Your lotus feet
su-durlabhaḥ
very difficult to obtain
artheṣu
in the matter of
caturṣu
in the four objectives
api
in spite of
iha
in this world
tathā api
yet
na
do not
aham
I
pravṛṇomi
prefer
bhūman
O great one
bhavat
Your
pada-ambhoja
lotus feet
niṣevaṇa-utsukaḥ
anxious to serve.
O my Lord, devotees who engage in the transcendental loving service of Your lotus feet have no difficulty in achieving anything within the realm of the four principles of religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. But, O great one, as far as I am concerned, I have preferred only to engage in the loving service of Your lotus feet.
Purport

Those who are associated with the Lord in the Vaikuṇṭha planets achieve all the bodily features of the Lord and appear to be the same as Lord Viṣṇu. Such liberation is called sārūpya-mukti, which is one of the five kinds of liberation. The devotees engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord never accept the sāyujya-mukti, or merging in the rays of the Lord called the brahmajyoti. The devotees can achieve not only liberation but any success in the realm of religiosity, economic development or sense gratification up to the standard of the demigods in the heavenly planets. But such a pure devotee as Uddhava refuses to accept all such facilities. A pure devotee wants simply to engage in the service of the Lord and does not consider his own personal benefit.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
What among the four goals of artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa is difficult to achieve for one who worships your lotus feet? O Lord! I therefore do not accept these things, since I am enthusiastically engaged in serving your lotus feet. Do you desire to give knowledge of yourself so that I, your servant, can attain sārūpya or liberation from the material world? Certainly not! Among the four goals of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa which of these is rare for those who worship your lotus feet? And jñāna without these desires will bring about the result of liberation only by worship of your lotus feet. I do not accept these things which are attained automatically, since I am enthusiastically engaged in serving your lotus feet. What use do I have for jñāna?
Personal Guidance
Devotees can have anything from religiosity to liberation, but Uddhava chose only service at the Lord's feet. Set service above all four standard pursuits in your own list. Otherwise the lesser ones quietly take first place.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of dharma, artha, kama, or moksa secretly outranks pure service in your daily priorities?
  • What would you have to refuse, even from Krsna Himself, to demonstrate you only want His service?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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