Text 68] Ambarisa Maharaja Offended by Durvasé Muni 143

the core of the heart; tw—indeed; aham—I am; mat-anyat—anything
else but me; te—they; na—not; jdnanti—know; na—not; aham—];
tebhyah—than them; mandk api—even by a little fraction.

TRANSLATION

The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am
always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know
anything else but Me, and I do not know anyone else but them.

PURPORT

Since Durvasd Muni wanted to chastise Maharaja Ambarisa, it is to be
understood that he wanted to give pain to the heart of the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, for the Lord says, sddhavo hrdayarh mahyam:
“The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart.”” The Lord’s
feelings are like those of a father, who feels pain when his child is in
pain. Therefore, offenses at the lotus feet of a devotee are serious.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu has very strongly recommended that one not com-
mit any offense at the lotus feet of a devotee. Such offenses are compared
to a mad elephant because when a mad elephant enters a garden it causes
devastation. Therefore one should be extremely careful not to commit
offenses at the lotus feet of a pure devotee. Actually Maharaja Ambarisa
was not at all at fault; Durvasé Muni unnecessarily wanted to chastise
him on flimsy grounds. Maharaja Ambarisa wanted to complete the
Ekadasi-parana as part of devotional service to please the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead, and therefore he drank a little water. But although
Durvasa Muni was a great mystic brahmana, he did not know what is
what. That is the difference between a pure devotee and a so-called
learned scholar of Vedic knowledge. The devotees, being always situated
in the core of the Lord’s heart, surely get all instructions directly from

the Lord, as confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (10.11):

tesam evanukampartham
aham ajfidnajarh tamah

nasayamy atma-bhavastho
jidna-dipena bhasvata
