288
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 8]
of the King, but because you did not take your birth in my womb, you are not qualified to sit on your father's lap.
PURPORT
Queen Suruci very proudly informed Dhruva Mahārāja that to be the King's son was not the qualification for sitting on the lap or on the throne of the King. Rather, this privilege was dependent on one's taking birth in the womb of Queen Suruci. In other words, she indirectly informed Dhruva Mahārāja that although he happened to be born of the King, he was nevertheless considered to be an illegitimate son because of his birth in the womb of the other queen.
TEXT 12
बालोऽसि बत नात्मानमन्वह्नोगर्भसम्भृतम् । नूनं वेद भवान् यस्य दुर्लभेऽर्थे मनोरथः ॥१२॥
bālo'si bata nātmānam anya-strī-garbha-sambhṛtam nūnam veda bhavān yasya durlabhe'rthe mano-rathaḥ
bālaḥ—child; asi—you are; bata—however; na—not; ātmānam—my own; anya—other; strī—woman; garbha—womb; sambhṛtam—born by; nūnam—however; veda—just try to know; bhavān—yourself; yasya—of which; durlabhe—unapproachable; arthe—matter; manaḥ-rathaḥ—desirous.
TRANSLATION
My dear child, you are unaware that you were not born of my womb but were born of another woman. Therefore you should know that your attempt is doomed to failure. You are trying to fulfill a desire which is impossible to be fulfilled.
PURPORT
The small child, Dhruva Mahārāja, was naturally affectionate toward his father, and he did not know that there was a distinction between his two mothers. This distinction was pointed out by Queen Suruci, who informed