Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 38


Sanskrit:

गाधवारिचरास्तापमविन्दञ्छरदर्कजम् ।यथा दरिद्र: कृपण: कुटुम्ब्यविजितेन्द्रिय: ॥ ३८ ॥

ITRANS:

gādha-vāri-carās tāpamavindañ charad-arka-jamyathā daridraḥ kṛpaṇaḥkuṭumby avijitendriyaḥ

Translation:

Just as a miserly, poverty-stricken person overly absorbed in family life suffers because he cannot control his senses, the fish swimming in the shallow water had to suffer the heat of the autumn sun.

Purport:

Although, as described in the previous verse, unintelligent fish are not aware of the diminishing water, one may think these fish are still happy according to the old proverb “Ignorance is bliss.” But even the ignorant fish are scorched by the autumn sun. Similarly, although an attached family man may consider his ignorance of spiritual life blissful, he is constantly disturbed by the problems of family life, and, indeed, his uncontrolled senses lead him into a situation of unrelieved anguish.