FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.26

अनास्थितं ते पितृभिरन्यैरप्यङ्ग कर्हिचित् । आतिष्ठ जगतां वन्द्यं तद्विष्णो: परमं पदम् ॥ २६ ॥
anāsthitaṁ te pitṛbhir
[anaasthitam te pitribhir]
anyair apy aṅga karhicit
[anyair apy anga karhichit]
ātiṣṭha jagatāṁ vandyaṁ
[aatishtha jagataam vandyam]
tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam
[tad vishnoh paramam padam]
anāsthitam — never achieved te — your pitṛbhiḥ — by forefathers anyaiḥ — by others api — even aṅga — O Dhruva karhicit — at any time ātiṣṭha — please come and live there jagatām — by the inhabitants of the universe vandyam — worshipable tat — that viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu paramam — supreme padam — situation.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
anāsthitaṁ te pitṛbhir
anāsthitam
never achieved
te
your
pitṛbhiḥ
by forefathers
anyair apy aṅga karhicit
anyaiḥ
by others
api
even
aṅga
O Dhruva
karhicit
at any time
ātiṣṭha jagatāṁ vandyaṁ
ātiṣṭha
please come and live there
jagatām
by the inhabitants of the universe
vandyam
worshipable
tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam
tat
that
viṣṇoḥ
of Lord Viṣṇu
paramam
supreme
padam
situation.
Dear King Dhruva, neither your forefathers nor anyone else before you ever achieved such a transcendental planet. The planet known as Viṣṇuloka, where Lord Viṣṇu personally resides, is the highest of all. It is worshipable by the inhabitants of all other planets within the universe. Please come with us and live there eternally.

When Dhruva Mahārāja went to perform austerities, he was very determined to achieve a post never dreamed of by his forefathers. His father was Uttānapāda, his grandfather was Manu, and his great-grandfather was Lord Brahmā. So Dhruva wanted a kingdom even greater than Lord Brahmā could achieve, and he requested Nārada Muni to give him facility for achieving it. The associates of Lord Viṣṇu reminded him that not only his forefathers but everyone else before him was unable to attain Viṣṇuloka, the planet where Lord Viṣṇu resides. This is because everyone within this material world is either a karmī, a jñānī or a yogī, but there are hardly any pure devotees. The transcendental planet known as Viṣṇuloka is especially meant for devotees, not for karmīs, jñānīs or yogīs. Great ṛṣis or demigods can hardly approach Brahmaloka, and as stated in Bhagavad-gītā, Brahmaloka is not a permanent residence. Lord Brahmā’s duration of life is so long that it is difficult to estimate even the duration of one day in his life, and yet Lord Brahmā also dies, as do the residents of his planet. Bhagavad-gītā (8.16) says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino ’rjuna: except for those who go to Viṣṇuloka, everyone is subjected to the four principles of material life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. The Lord says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: “The planet from which, once going, no one returns is My supreme abode.” ( Bg. 15.6 ) Dhruva Mahārāja was reminded, “You are going in our company to that planet from which no one returns to this material world.” Material scientists are attempting to go to the moon and other planets, but they cannot imagine going to the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, for it is beyond their imagination. By material calculation, traveling at the speed of light it would take forty thousand light-years to reach the topmost planet. By mechanical processes we are unable to reach the topmost planet of this universe, but the process called bhakti-yoga, as executed by Mahārāja Dhruva, can give one the facility not only to reach other planets within this universe, but also to reach beyond this universe to the Viṣṇuloka planets. We have outlined this in our small booklet Easy Journey to Other Planets.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Dhruva! Stay in that supreme abode of Viṣṇu, a place not achieved by your forefathers or any others, which is worshipped by the whole universe.
Related verses
Neither your forefathers nor anyone before you reached this planet — Viṣṇuloka is the highest, eternal home. Some children are meant to outrun their ancestors; don't apologize for the breakthrough.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I shrinking my breakthrough to match my family's comfort zone?
  • What would it mean to claim the higher destination my own austerity has earned?
📝 My note

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