396
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 9]
merciful that He fulfilled his desire. Dhruva Mahārāja wanted a residence more exalted than any ever occupied by anyone else in his family. Therefore he was offered the planet in which the Lord personally resides, and his determination was completely satisfied. Still, when Dhruva Mahārāja returned home he was not very much pleased because although in pure devotional service there is no demand from the Lord, because of his childish nature he had demanded something, and although the Lord also fulfilled his desire, he was not very pleased. Rather, he was ashamed that he had demanded something from the Lord, for he should not have done this.
TEXT 28
विदुर उवाच
सुदुर्लभं यत्परमं पदं हरे-
मायाविनस्तच्चरणार्चनार्जितम् ।
लब्धाप्यसिद्धार्थमिवैकजन्मना
कथं स्वमात्मानममन्यतार्थवित् ॥२८॥
vidura uvāca
sudurlabham yat paramam padam harer
māyāvinas tac-caraṇārcanārjitam
labdhvāpy asiddhārtham ivaika-janmanā
katham svam ātmānam amanyatārtha-vit
viduraḥ uvāca —Vidura continued to inquire;  sudurlabham —very rare;  yat —that which;  paramam —is the supreme;  padam —situation;  hareḥ —of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;  māyāvinaḥ —very affectionate;  tat —His;  caraṇa —lotus feet;  arcana —by worshiping;  arjitam —achieved;  labdhvā —having attained;  api —although;  asiddha-artham —not fulfilled;  iva —as if;  eka-janmanā —in the duration of one life;  katham —why;  svam —own;  ātmānam —heart;  amanyata —he felt;  artha-vit —being very wise.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Vidura inquired: My dear brāhmaṇa, the abode of the Lord is very difficult to attain. It can be attained only by pure devotional service, which alone pleases the most affectionate, merciful Lord. Dhruva Mahārāja achieved this position even in one life, and he was very wise and conscientious. Why, then, was he not very pleased?