FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.16

आत्मस्त्र्यपत्यसुहृदो बलमृद्धकोश- मन्त:पुरं परिविहारभुवश्च रम्या: । भूमण्डलं जलधिमेखलमाकलय्य कालोपसृष्टमिति स प्रययौ विशालाम् ॥ १६ ॥
ātma-stry-apatya-suhṛdo balam ṛddha-kośam
[aatma-stry-apatya-suhrido balam riddha-kosham]
antaḥ-puraṁ parivihāra-bhuvaś ca ramyāḥ
[antah-puram parivihaara-bhuvash cha ramyaah]
bhū-maṇḍalaṁ jaladhi-mekhalam ākalayya
[bhoo-mandalam jaladhi-mekhalam aakalayya]
kālopasṛṣṭam iti sa prayayau viśālām
[kaalopasrishtam iti sa prayayau vishaalaam]
ātma — body strī — wives apatya — children suhṛdaḥ — friends balam — influence, army ṛddha-kośam — rich treasury antaḥ-puram — female residential quarters parivihāra-bhuvaḥ — pleasure-grounds ca — and ramyāḥ — beautiful bhū-maṇḍalam — the complete earth jala-dhi — by oceans mekhalam — bound ākalayya — considering kāla — by time upasṛṣṭam — created iti — thus saḥ — he prayayau — went viśālām — to Badarikāśrama.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ātma-stry-apatya-suhṛdo balam ṛddha-kośam
ātma
body
strī
wives
apatya
children
suhṛdaḥ
friends
balam
influence, army
ṛddha-kośam
rich treasury
antaḥ-puraṁ parivihāra-bhuvaś ca ramyāḥ
antaḥ-puram
female residential quarters
parivihāra-bhuvaḥ
pleasure-grounds
ca
and
ramyāḥ
beautiful
bhū-maṇḍalaṁ jaladhi-mekhalam ākalayya
bhū-maṇḍalam
the complete earth
jala-dhi
by oceans
mekhalam
bound
ākalayya
considering
kālopasṛṣṭam iti sa prayayau viśālām
kāla
by time
upasṛṣṭam
created
iti
thus
saḥ
he
prayayau
went
viśālām
to Badarikāśrama.
Thus Dhruva Mahārāja, at the end, left his kingdom, which extended all over the earth and was bounded by the great oceans. He considered his body, his wives, his children, his friends, his army, his rich treasury, his very comfortable palaces and his many enjoyable pleasure-grounds to be creations of the illusory energy. Thus in due course of time he retired to the forest in the Himālayas known as Badarikāśrama.

In the beginning of his life, when he went to the forest in search of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Dhruva Mahārāja realized that all bodily conceptions of pleasure are products of the illusory energy. In the very beginning, of course, he was after the kingdom of his father, and in order to get it he went to search for the Supreme Lord. But he later realized that everything is the creation of the illusory energy. From the acts of Śrīla Dhruva Mahārāja we can understand that somehow or other if one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious — it does not matter what his motivation is in the beginning — he will eventually realize the real truth by the grace of the Lord. In the beginning, Dhruva Mahārāja was interested in the kingdom of his father, but later he became a great devotee, mahā-bhāgavata, and had no interest in material enjoyment. The perfection of life can be achieved only by devotees. Even if one completes only a minute percentage of devotional service and then falls down from his immature position, he is better than a person who fully engages in the fruitive activities of this material world.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Considering that body, wives, children, friends, military power, treasury, female quarters, beautiful parks, and the whole area surrounded by the oceans, would all be destroyed by time, he went to Badarikāśrama. Considering that all things were affected (upaṣṛtṣam) by time, he left for Badarikāśrama (viśālām).
Dhruva leaves his ocean-bounded kingdom — body, wives, children, friends, army, treasury, palaces — considering all illusory, and retires to the forest. The full renunciation comes only after the full participation; don't skip stages.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I trying to renounce without having first really participated?
  • What in my life can I begin to hold lightly without abandoning it?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 12