Text 18
arthābhāvaṁ viniścitya
pratītasyāpi nātmanaḥ
tāṁ cāpi yuṣmac-caraṇa-
sevayāhaṁ parāṇude
artha-abhāvam — without substance; viniścitya — being ascertained; pratītasya — of the apparent values; api — also; na — never; ātmanaḥ — of the self; tām — that; ca — also; api — thus; yuṣmat — your; caraṇa — feet; sevayā — by service; aham — myself; parāṇude — shall be able to give up.
But, my dear sir, I am obliged to you because now I can understand that this material manifestation is without substance, although it appears real. I am confident that by serving your feet it will be possible for me to give up the false idea.
The sufferings of the conditioned soul are superficial and have no intrinsic value, like the cutting off of one’s head in a dream. Yet although this statement is theoretically very true, it is very difficult for the common man or the neophyte on the transcendental path to realize practically. However, by serving the feet of great transcendentalists like Maitreya Muni and by constantly associating with them, one is enabled to give up the false idea that the soul suffers from material pangs.