Text 14] Dhruva Maharaja Returns Home 379
The same concept is expressed here by Dhruva Maharaja. He states that
before seeing the transcendental form of the Lord, he had experienced
only the varieties of material forms, which are counted at 8,400,000
species of aquatics, birds, beasts, etc. The fact is that unless one engages
in the devotional service of the Lord, it is impossible for him to under-
stand the ultimate form of the Lord. This is also confirmed in the
Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 18.55). Bhaktya mam abhijanati: factual understanding
of the Absolute Truth, who is the Supreme Person, cannot be obtained
by any process other than devotional service.

Dhruva Maharaja here compares his previous state of understanding
with the perfection of understanding in the presence of the Supreme
Lord. The position of a living entity is to render service; unless he comes
to the stage of appreciating the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he
engages in the service of the various forms of trees, reptiles, animals,
men, demigods, etc. One can experience that one man engages in the
service of a dog, another serves plants and creepers, another the demigods,
and another humanity or his boss in the office—but no one is engaged in
the service of Krsna. Aside from common men, even men who are
elevated in terms of spiritual understanding are at the utmost engaged in
the service of the virata-rupa, or, unable to understand the ultimate form
of the Lord, they worship voidism by meditation. Dhruva Maharaja,
however, had been blessed by the Supreme Lord. When the Lord touched
His conchshell to Dhruva’s forehead, real knowledge was revealed from
within, and Dhruva could understand the Lord’s transcendental form.
Dhruva Maharaja here admits that not only was he ignorant, but by
years he was only a child. It would not have been possible for an ignorant
child to appreciate the supreme form of the Lord had he not been blessed
by the Lord, who touched His conchshell to Dhruva’s forehead.

TEXT 14
BOUT CALA TST THY
VA GAY ACVTAATTARE |
TefafreqeETaTO ATT
TE TARY ATTA THTATSHA TEA BUI
kalpanta etad akhilam jatharena grhnan
Sete puman sva-drg ananta-sakhas tad-anke
yan-nabhi-sindhu-ruha-kaficana-loka-padma-
garbhe dyuman bhagavate pranato ’smi tasmai
