174 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2
feet of the Lord, one falls down. That is the verdict given by Lord
Brahma in this verse.

There are persons who advocate accepting any process and who say
that whatever process one accepts will lead to the same goal, but that is
refuted in this verse, where such persons are referred to as vimukta-
maninah, signifying that although they think they have attained the
highest perfection, in fact they have not. In the present day, big, big
politicians all over the world think that by scheming they can occupy the
highest political post, that of president or prime minister, but we actually
see that even in this life such big prime ministers, presidents and other
politicians, because of being nondevotees, fall down (patanty adhah). To
become president or prime minister is not easy; one must work very hard
(Gruhya krechrena) to achieve the post. And even though one may reach
his goal, at any moment one may be kicked down by material nature. In
human society there have been many instances in which great, exalted
politicians have fallen from government and become lost in historical
oblivion. The cause of this is avisuddha-buddhayah: their intelligence
is impure. The Sdstra says, na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum
(Bhag. 7.5.31). One achieves the perfection of life by becoming a devo-
tee of Visnu, but people do not know this. Therefore, as stated in
Bhagavad-gité (12.5), kleso ‘dhikataras tesam avyaktdsakta-cetasam.
Persons who do not ultimately accept the Supreme Personality of God-
head and take to devotional service, but who instead are attached to im-
personalism and voidism, must undergo great labor to achieve their
goals.

Sreyah-srtim bhaktim udasya te vibho
kligyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
(Bhag. 10.14.4)
To achieve understanding, such persons work very hard and undergo
severe austerities, but their hard labor and austerities themselves are
their only achievement, for they do not actually achieve the real goal of
life.

Dhruva Maharaja at first wanted to achieve the greatest material
kingdom and greater material possessions than his father, but when he
was actually favored by the Lord, who appeared before him to give him
