Text 35]
Dhruva Mahārāja Returns Home
407
prasādya —after satisfying;  jagat-ātmānam —the soul of the universe;  tapasā —by austerity;  duṣprasādanam —who is very difficult to satisfy;  bhava-chidam —the Personality of Godhead, who can cut the chain of birth and death;  ayāce —prayed for;  aham —I;  bhavam —again repetition of birth and death;  bhāgya —fortune;  vivarjitaḥ —being without.
TRANSLATION
It is very difficult to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but in my case, although I have satisfied the Supersoul of the whole universe, I have prayed only for useless things. My activities were exactly like treatment given to a person who is already dead. Just see how unfortunate I am, for in spite of meeting the Supreme Lord, who can cut one's link with birth and death, I have prayed for the same conditions again.
PURPORT
Sometimes it so happens that a devotee engaged in the loving service of the Lord desires some material benefit in exchange for this service. This is not the proper way to discharge devotional service. Out of ignorance, of course, sometimes a devotee does so, but Dhruva Mahārāja regrets his personal behavior in this connection.
TEXT 35
स्वाराज्यं यच्छतो मौढ्यान्मानो मे मिक्षितो वत । ईश्वरात्क्षीणपुण्येन फलीकारानिवाधनः ॥३५॥
svārājyam yacchato mauḍhyān māno me bhikṣito bata īśvarāt kṣīṇa-puṇyena phalī-kārān ivādhanaḥ
svārājyam —His devotional service;  yacchataḥ —from the Lord, who was willing to offer;  mauḍhyāt —by foolishness;  mānaḥ —material prosperity;  me —by me;  bhikṣitaḥ —was asked for;  bata —alas;  īśvarāt —from a great emperor;  kṣīṇa —reduced;  puṇyena —whose pious activities;  phalī-kārān —broken particles of husked rice;  iva —like;  adhanaḥ —a poor man.
TRANSLATION
Because of my state of complete foolishness and paucity of pious activities, although the Lord offered me His personal service, still I wanted material name, fame and prosperity. My case is just like that of the poor man