Verse 1.4.117-118

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.4.117-118:

अहो किम् अपरे श्रीमद्-द्रौपदी महिषी-वरा ।
तादृशा भ्रातरः श्रीमद्-भीमसेनार्जुनादयः ॥ ११७ ॥
न प्रिया देह-सम्बन्धान् न चतुर्वर्ग-साधनात् ।
परं श्री-कृष्ण-पादाब्ज-प्रेम-सम्बन्धतः प्रियाः ॥ ११८ ॥

aho kim apare śrīmad-draupadī mahiṣī-varā |
tādṛśā bhrātaraḥ śrīmad-bhīmasenārjunādayaḥ || 117 ||
na priyā deha-sambandhān na caturvarga-sādhanāt |
paraṃ śrī-kṛṣṇa-pādābja-prema-sambandhataḥ priyāḥ || 118 ||

Ah, what more can I say about this matter? Śrīmatī Draupadīdevī, the crest jewel of all queens and such virtuously decorated brothers as Bhīma and Arjuna are not as dear to Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira. Still, the affection shown by Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira is not due to a bodily relationship, but to a relationship of prema unto the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa they all are dear to him.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

If you say, why does Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira show so much affection towards his wife, Śrīmatī Draupadī, and his younger brothers Bhīma and Arjuna? Therefore, he quotes the two ślokas beginning with aho.

Are his brothers incapable of showing affection to him too, what to speak of benefiting from his wealth and opulence? Śrīmatī Draupadī is unable to kindle his affection too, but if at anytime his affection towards Draupadī does becomes noticeable, that is not due to a bodily relationship, rather simply to a relationship of devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa remains far away from the enjoyment of other sense objects. The crown jewel and topmost of royal mahiṣīs who is adorned with all good virtues, Śrīmatī Draupadī, and such all-virtuous brothers as Bhīma and Arjuna, are also not granted the affection of Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira. Other than the relationship to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of other enjoyable objects, the crest jewel of the beautiful ladies, Śrīmatī Draupadī, and brothers Bhīma and Arjuna who are decorated with similar virtuous qualities are also not as dear to him.

However, still sometimes if affection is seen in them, that is also not due to a bodily relationship due to the acceptance of one’s hand in marriage, or due to the bodily relationship by birth, or not for the achievement of religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, or liberation. Rather, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is dear to him and no one else can be as dear to him. Mātā tīrthaṃ pitā tīrthaṃ bhāryā tīrthaṃ tathaiva ca putra tīrthaṃ: “Mother is a holy place; father is the holy place; wife is the holy place; as well as the son a holy place…” According to these words of the Padma Purāṇa, his wife Śrī Draupadī and his younger brothers Bhīma and Arjuna, who are like his sons, are holy places. Therefore, even though they are associates in the mutual goals of life, the affection Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira has towards his brothers and wife is not related to the body, but only due to the affection to the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa or mutual affection among the devotees of Śrī Kṛṣṇa; due to that loving relationship alone his affection towards them is seen. Here the word priyaḥ (dear) is utilized again—due to the relationship of kṛṣṇaprema, their mutual relationship of affection is indicated.

Factually, the mutual attachment or affection of devotees of Kṛṣṇa towards one another is the nature of the devotional service and by this great happiness is achieved, this is well-known. In this way, the qualities of one settle in the qualities of others. Therefore, simply by showing the glories of Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, the glories of all others are indicated.

And the juniors are the followers of the seniors; therefore, all the qualities of the elder brother, settle in the qualities of the younger brother, such great glories are described in the First Canto (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhāgavata Purāṇa 1.12.5, 6):

सम्पदः क्रतवो लोका महिषी भ्रातरो मही
जम्बू-द्वीपाधिपत्यं च यशश् च त्रि-दिवं गतम्
किं ते कामाः सुर-स्पार्हा मुकुन्द-मनसो द्विजाः
अधिजह्रुर् मुदं राज्ञ क्षुधितस्य यथेतरे

sampadaḥ kratavo lokā mahiṣī bhrātaro mahī
jambū-dvīpādhipatyaṃ ca yaśaś ca tri-divaṃ gatam
kiṃ te kāmāḥ sura-spārhā mukunda-manaso dvijāḥ
adhijahrur mudaṃ rājña kṣudhitasya yathetare

News even reached the celestial planets about Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira’s worldly possessions, yajñas by which he would attain a better destination, his queen, his brothers, his sovereignty over the earth and his fame. O brāhmaṇas, the opulence of the King was so enchanting that even the denizens of heaven aspired for it. But because he was absorbed in the service of the Lord, nothing could satisfy him except the Lord’s service. On account of this, he was always meditating on the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. What more can I say in this connection? Just as the mind of a hungry person can never run to any other object than food; similarly, no enjoyable object such as his vast royal kingdom could inflame the heart of Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira other than śrī-kṛṣṇa-prema.

This is the intended meaning of the two ślokas, which are to be considered.