FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.8.69

सुदुष्करं कर्म कृत्वा लोकपालैरपि प्रभु: । ऐष्यत्यचिरतो राजन् यशो विपुलयंस्तव ॥ ६९ ॥
suduṣkaraṁ karma kṛtvā
[sudushkaram karma kritvaa]
loka-pālair api prabhuḥ
[loka-paalair api prabhuh]
aiṣyaty acirato rājan
[aishyaty achirato raajan]
yaśo vipulayaṁs tava
[yasho vipulayams tava]
su-duṣkaram — impossible to perform karma — work kṛtvā — after performing loka-pālaiḥ — by great personalities api — even prabhuḥ — quite competent aiṣyati — will come back acirataḥ — without delay rājan — my dear King yaśaḥ — reputation vipulayan — causing to become great tava — your.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
suduṣkaraṁ karma kṛtvā
su-duṣkaram
impossible to perform
karma
work
kṛtvā
after performing
loka-pālair api prabhuḥ
loka-pālaiḥ
by great personalities
api
even
prabhuḥ
quite competent
aiṣyaty acirato rājan
aiṣyati
will come back
acirataḥ
without delay
rājan
my dear King
yaśo vipulayaṁs tava
yaśaḥ
reputation
vipulayan
causing to become great
tava
your.
My dear King, your son is very competent. He will perform activities which would be impossible even for great kings and sages. Very soon he will complete his task and come back home. You should know that he will also spread your reputation all over the world.

Here in this verse Nārada Muni has described Dhruva Mahārāja as prabhu. This word is applicable to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes the spiritual master is addressed as Prabhupāda. Prabhu means “the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” and pāda means “post.” According to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, the spiritual master occupies the post of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or in other words he is the bona fide representative of the Supreme Lord. Dhruva Mahārāja is also described here as prabhu because he is an ācārya of the Vaiṣṇava school. Another meaning of prabhu is “master of the senses,” just like the word svāmī. Another significant word is suduṣkaram, “very difficult to perform.” What was the task that Dhruva Mahārāja undertook? The most difficult task in life is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Dhruva Mahārāja would be able to do that. We must remember that Dhruva Mahārāja was not fickle; he was determined to execute his service and then come back. Every devotee, therefore, should be determined that in this life he will be able to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead and by that process go back home, back to Godhead. That is the perfection of the highest mission of life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O King! After performing tasks difficult even for the devatās, Dhruva will soon return, spreading your fame everywhere.
Nārada predicts Dhruva will accomplish what even great kings and sages cannot, and will spread his father's name. Sometimes the child we wounded becomes the very person who restores our reputation; mercy works strange arithmetic.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom have I underestimated who may be on the way to dignifying me?
  • Where am I trying to protect my reputation when surrender to grace would handle it better?
📝 My note

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