794
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 20]
tary systems where the duration of life is very long and the standard of living and happiness is very high. There are others, namely  jñānīs  and  yogīs , who want the benediction of merging into the existence of the Lord. This is called  kaivalya . The Lord is therefore addressed as  kaivalya-pati , the master or Lord of the benediction known as  kaivalya . But devotees receive a different type of benediction from the Lord. Devotees are anxious neither for the heavenly planets nor for merging into the existence of the Lord. According to devotees,  kaivalya , or merging into the existence of the Lord, is considered as good as hell. The word  nāraka  means hell. Similarly, everyone who exists in this material world is called  nāraka  because this material existence itself is known as a hellish condition of life. Pṛthu Mahārāja, however, expressed that he was interested neither in the benediction desired by the  karmīs  nor that desired by the  jñānīs  and  yogīs . Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī Prabhu, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, described that  kaivalya  is no better than a hellish condition of life, and as for the delights of the heavenly planets, they are factually will-o'-the-wisps or phantasmagoria. They are not wanted by devotees. Devotees do not even care for the positions held by Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva, nor does a devotee desire to become equal with Lord Viṣṇu. As a pure devotee of the Lord, Pṛthu Mahārāja made his position very clear.
TEXT 24
न कामये नाथ तदप्यहं क्वचिन्-
न यत्र युष्यचरणाम्बुजासवः ।
महत्तमान्तर्हृदयान्मुखन्युतो
विधत्स्व कर्णायुतमेष मे वरः ॥२४॥
na kāmaye nātha tad apy ahami kvacin na yatra yuṣmac-caraṇāmbujāsavaḥ mahattamāntar-hṛdayān mukha-cyuto vidhatsva karṇāyutam eṣa me varaḥ
na—not; kāmaye—do I desire; nātha—O master; tat—that; api—even; aham—I; kvacit—at any time; na—not; yatra—where; yuṣmat—Your; caraṇambuja—of the lotus feet; āsavaḥ—the nectarean beverage; mahattama—of the great devotees; antaḥ-hṛdayāt—from the core of the heart; mukha—from the mouths; cyutaḥ—being delivered; vidhatsva—give; karṇa—ears; ayutam—one million; eṣaḥ—this; me—my; varaḥ—benediction.