Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order

Chapter 20: Lord Vishnu's Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena of Maharaja Prithu. Text 32

मैत्रेय उवाच
इत्यादिराजेन नुतः स विश्वदृक्त
तमाह राजन्मयि भक्तिरस्तु ते ।
दिष्ट्येदृशी धीर्मयि ते कृता यया
मायां मदीयां तरति स्म दुस्त्यजाम् ॥३२॥

maitreya uvÄca
ity Ädi-rÄjena nutaḥ sa viÅ›va-dá¹›k
tam Äha rÄjan mayi bhaktir astu te
diṣṭyedṛśī dhÄ«r mayi te ká¹›tÄ yayÄ
mÄyÄá¹ madÄ«yÄá¹ tarati sma dustyajÄm

 maitreyaḥ - Maitreya, the great sage; uvÄca - spoke; iti - thus; Ädi-rÄjena - by the original king (Pá¹›thu); nutaḥ - being worshiped; saḥ - He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); viÅ›va-dá¹›k - the seer of the whole universe; tam - unto him; Äha - said; rÄjan - my dear King; mayi - unto Me; bhaktiḥ - devotional service; astu - let it be; te - your; diṣṭyÄ - by good fortune; Ä«dṛśī - like this; dhīḥ - intelligence; mayi - unto Me; te - by you; ká¹›tÄ - having been performed; yayÄ - by which; mÄyÄm - illusory energy; madÄ«yÄm - My; tarati - crosses over; sma - certainly; dustyajÄm - very difficult to give up.


Text

The great sage Maitreya continued by saying that the Lord, the seer of the universe, after hearing Pá¹›thu MahÄrÄja’s prayer, addressed the King: My dear King, may you always be blessed by engaging in My devotional service. Only by such purity of purpose, as you yourself very intelligently express, can one cross over the insurmountable illusory energy of mÄyÄ.

Purport

This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ, wherein the Lord claims that the illusory energy is insurmountable. No one can transcend the illusory energy of mÄyÄ by fruitive activity, speculative philosophy or mystic yoga. The only means for transcending illusory energy is devotional service, as the Lord Himself states: mÄm eva ye prapadyante mÄyÄm etÄá¹ taranti te (Bg. 7.14). If one wants to cross over the ocean of material existence, there is no alternative than to take to devotional service. A devotee, therefore, should not care for any material position, whether in heaven or in hell. A pure devotee should always engage in the service of the Lord, for that is his real occupation. Simply by sticking to that position, one can overcome the stringent laws of material nature.