नूनं सुनीतेः पतिदेवताया
स्तपःप्रभावस्य सुतस्य तां गतिम् ।
दृष्ट्वाभ्युपायानपि वेदवादिनो
नैवाधिगन्तुं प्रभवन्ति किं नृपाः ॥४१॥
nÄrada uvÄca
nÅ«naá¹ sunÄ«teḥ pati-devatÄyÄs
tapaḥ-prabhÄvasya sutasya tÄá¹ gatim
dṛṣá¹vÄbhyupÄyÄn api veda-vÄdino
naivÄdhigantuá¹ prabhavanti kiá¹ ná¹›pÄḥ
nÄradaḥ uvÄca - NÄrada said; nÅ«nam - certainly; sunÄ«teḥ - of SunÄ«ti; pati-devatÄyÄḥ - very much attached to her husband; tapaḥ-prabhÄvasya - by the influence of austerity; sutasya - of the son; tÄm - that; gatim - position; dṛṣá¹vÄ - observing; abhyupÄyÄn - the means; api - although; veda-vÄdinaḥ - strict followers of the Vedic principles, or the so-called VedÄntists; na - never; eva - certainly; adhigantum - to attain; prabhavanti - are eligible; kim - what to speak of; ná¹›pÄḥ - ordinary kings.
The great sage NÄrada said: Simply by the influence of his spiritual advancement and powerful austerity, Dhruva MahÄrÄja, the son of SunÄ«ti, who was devoted to her husband, acquired an exalted position not possible to attain even for the so-called VedÄntists or strict followers of the Vedic principles, not to speak of ordinary human beings.
In this verse the word veda-vÄdinaḥ is very significant. Generally, a person who strictly follows the Vedic principles is called veda-vÄdÄ«. There are also so-called VedÄntists who advertise themselves as followers of VedÄnta philosophy but who misinterpret VedÄnta. The expression veda-vÄda-ratÄḥ is also found in the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ, referring to persons who are attached to the Vedas without understanding the purport of the Vedas. Such persons may go on talking about the Vedas or may execute austerities in their own way, but it is not possible for them to attain to such an exalted position as Dhruva MahÄrÄja. As far as ordinary kings are concerned, it is not at all possible. The specific mention of kings is significant because formerly kings were also rÄjará¹£is, for the kings were as good as great sages. Dhruva MahÄrÄja was a king, and at the same time he was as learned as a great sage. But without devotional service, neither a great king, a ká¹£atriya, nor a great brÄhmaṇa strictly adhering to the Vedic principles can be elevated to the exalted position attained by Dhruva MahÄrÄja.
