288 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 8

of the King, but because you did not take your birth in my womb, you are
not qualified to sit on your father’s lap.

PURPORT

Queen Suruci very proudly informed Dhruva Maharaja that to be the
King’s son was not the qualification for sitting on the lap or on the throne
of the King. Rather, this privilege was dependent on one’s taking birth in
the womb of Queen Suruci. In other words, she indirectly informed
Dhruva Maharajathat although he happened to be born of the King, he was
nevertheless considered to be an illegitimate son because of his birth in the
womb of the other queen.

TEXT 12

TASH Ta TRATES TTT |
qd Fz AA TA FHASY AAT! 1122

balo’si bata naétmanam
anya-stri-garbha-sambhrtam

niinarn veda bhavan yasya
durlabhe’rthe mano-rathah

balah—child; asi—you are; bata—however; na—not; atmadnam—my own;
anya— other; stri-woman; garbha—womb; sambhrtam—born by; ninam—
however; veda—just try to know; bhavaén—yourself; yasya—of which;
durlabhe—unapproachable ; arthe— matter; manah-rathah—desirous.

TRANSLATION

My dear child, you are unaware that you were not born of my womb but
were born of another woman. Therefore you should know that your at-
tempt is doomed to failure. You are trying to fulfill a desire which is
impossible to be fulfilled.

PURPORT

The small child, Dhruva Maharaja, was naturally affectionate toward his
father, and he did not know that there was a distinction between his two
mothers. This distinction was pointed out by Queen Suruci, who informed
