श्रीशुक उवाच
अथाम्बरीषस्तनयेषु राज्यं
समानशीलेषु विसृज्य धीरः ।
वनं विवेशात्मनि वासुदेवे
मनो दधद्ध्वस्तगुणप्रवाहः ॥२६॥

Å›rÄ«-Å›uka uvÄca
athÄmbarÄ«á¹£as tanayeá¹£u rÄjyaá¹
samÄna-śīleá¹£u visá¹›jya dhÄ«raḥ
vanaá¹ viveÅ›Ätmani vÄsudeve
mano dadhad dhvasta-guṇa-pravÄhaḥ

 Å›rÄ«-Å›ukaḥ uvÄca - ÅšrÄ« Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« said; atha - in this way; ambarÄ«á¹£aḥ - King AmbarÄ«á¹£a; tanayeá¹£u - unto his sons; rÄjyam - the kingdom; samÄna-śīleá¹£u - who were equally as qualified as their father; visá¹›jya - dividing; dhÄ«raḥ - the most learned person, MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a; vanam - into the forest; viveÅ›a - entered; Ätmani - unto the Supreme Lord; vÄsudeve - Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is known as VÄsudeva; manaḥ - mind; dadhat - concentrating; dhvasta - vanquished; guṇa-pravÄhaḥ - the waves of the material modes of nature.


Text

ÅšrÄ«la Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« continued: Thereafter, because of his advanced position in devotional life, MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a, who no longer desired to live with material things, retired from active family life. He divided his property among his sons, who were equally as qualified, and he himself took the order of vÄnaprastha and went to the forest to concentrate his mind fully upon Lord VÄsudeva.

Purport

As a pure devotee, MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a was liberated in any condition of life because, as enunciated by ÅšrÄ«la RÅ«pa GosvÄmÄ«, a devotee is always liberated.

Ä«hÄ yasya harer dÄsye
 karmaá¹‡Ä manasÄ girÄ
nikhilÄsv apy avasthÄsu
 jÄ«van-muktaḥ sa ucyate

In Bhakti-rasÄmá¹›ta-sindhu, ÅšrÄ«la RÅ«pa GosvÄmÄ« thus instructs that if one’s only desire is service to the Lord, he is liberated in any condition of life. MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a was undoubtedly liberated in any condition, but as an ideal king he accepted the vÄnaprastha order of retirement from family life. It is essential for one to renounce family responsibilities and fully concentrate on the lotus feet of VÄsudeva. Therefore MahÄrÄja AmbarÄ«á¹£a divided the kingdom among his sons and retired from family life.