462
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 1, Ch. 9]
position, became converted by another feature of  bhāva  and turned into pure devotees of the Lord. Tribulations of the devotees by the Lord constitute another exchange of transcendental  bhāva  between the Lord and the devotees. The Lord says ( Bhāg.  10), “I put My devotee into difficulty, and thus the devotee becomes more purified in exchanging transcendental  bhāva  with Me.” Placing the devotee into material troubles necessitates delivering him from the illusory material relations. The material relations are based on reciprocation of material enjoyment, which depends mainly on material resources. Therefore, when material resources are withdrawn by the Lord, the devotee is cent percent attracted towards transcendental loving service of the Lord. Thus the Lord snatches the fallen soul from the mire of material existence. Tribulations offered by the Lord to His devotee are different from the tribulations resulting from vicious action. All these glories of the Lord are especially known to the great  maṅājanas  like Brahmā, Śiva, Nārada, Kapila, Kumāra and Bhīṣma, as mentioned above, and one is able to grasp it by their grace.
TEXT 20
यं मन्यसे मातुलेयं प्रियं मित्रं सुहृत्तमम् । अकरोः सचिवं दूतं सौहृदादथ सारथिम् ॥२०॥
yam manyase mātuleyam priyam mitram suhṛttamam akaroḥ sacivam dūtam sauhṛdād atha sārathim
yam —the person;  manyase —you think;  mātuleyam —maternal cousin;  priyam —very dear;  mitram —friend;  suhṛttamam —ardent well-wisher;  akaroḥ —executed;  sacivam —counsel;  dūtam —messenger;  sauhṛdāt —by good will;  atha —thereupon;  sārathim —character.
TRANSLATION
O King, that personality whom, out of ignorance only, you thought to be your maternal cousin, your very dear friend, well-wisher, counsellor, messenger, benefactor, etc., is that very Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
PURPORT
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, although acting as the cousin, brother, friend, well-wisher, counsellor, messenger, benefactor, etc., of the Pāṇḍavas, was still the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Out of His causeless mercy and favor