1526 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 30

TEXT 31

at TMARSIY ATT ARITA: TAA |
A Teac aaa MSH ga MAS 132

varam urnimahe ’thapi
natha tvat paratah parat

na hy antas tvad-vibhiitinam
so ’nanta iti giyase

varam—benediction;vrnimahe—we shall pray for; athapi—therefore; natha
—O Lord; tvat—from You; paratah pardt—beyond the transcendence; na—
not; hi—certainly ; antah—end; tvat— Your; vibhitinam—of opulences; sah—
You; anantah—unlimited; iti—thus; giyase—are celebrated.

TRANSLATION

Dear Lord, we shall therefore pray for Your benediction because You
are the Supreme beyond all transcendence and because there is no end to
Your opulences. Consequently You are celebrated by the name Ananta.

PURPORT

There was no need for the Pracetaés to ask any benediction from the
Supreme Lord because the devotees are simply satisfied by the presence
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhruva Maharaja practiced severe
austerities and penances to see the Supreme Lord, and his intention was
to receive benediction from the Lord. He wanted to acquire the throne of
his father—or attain an even better position—but when he was actually in
the presence of the Supreme Lord, he forgot everything. He said, “My
dear Lord, I do not wish to ask any benediction.” This is the actual
position of the devotee. The devotee simply wants to be in the presence
of the Supreme Lord—either in this world or in the next—and engage in
His service. That is the ultimate goal and benediction for the devotees.

The Lord asked the Pracetas to pray for some benediction, and they
said, “What kind of benediction should we pray for? The Lord is unlimited,
and there are unlimited benedictions.” The purport is that if one must ask
for benediction, he must ask for unlimited benediction. The words tvat
paratah are very significant in this verse. The Supreme Personality of
Godhead is paratah parat. The word para means transcendental, beyond
this material world. The impersonal Brahman effulgence is beyond this
