Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 - Chapter 17

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 50 Sanskrit: वेदाध्यायस्वधास्वाहाबल्यन्नाद्यैर्यथोदयम् ।देवर्षिपितृभूतानि मद्रूपाण्यन्वहं यजेत् ॥ ५० ॥ ITRANS: vedādhyāya-svadhā-svāhā-baly-annādyair yathodayamdevarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtānimad-rūpāṇy anv-ahaṁ yajet Translation: One in the gṛhastha order of life should daily worship the sages by Vedic study, the forefathers by offering the mantra svadhā, the demigods by chanting svāhā, all living entities by offering shares of one’s meals, and human beings by offering grains and water. Thus considering the demigods, sages, forefathers, living entities and human beings to be manifestations of My potency, one should daily perform these five sacrifices....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 51 Sanskrit: यद‍ृच्छयोपपन्नेन शुक्लेनोपार्जितेन वा ।धनेनापीडयन् भृत्यान् न्यायेनैवाहरेत् क्रतून् ॥ ५१ ॥ ITRANS: yadṛcchayopapannenaśuklenopārjitena vādhanenāpīḍayan bhṛtyānnyāyenaivāharet kratūn Translation: A householder should comfortably maintain his dependents either with money that comes of its own accord or with that gathered by honest execution of one’s duties. According to one’s means, one should perform sacrifices and other religious ceremonies. Purport: The Lord here describes the religious duties that are to be performed as far as possible, according to one’s means, and when there is opportunity....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 52 Sanskrit: कुटुम्बेषु न सज्जेत न प्रमाद्येत् कुटुम्ब्यपि ।विपश्चिन्नश्वरं पश्येदद‍ृष्टमपि द‍ृष्टवत् ॥ ५२ ॥ ITRANS: kuṭumbeṣu na sajjetana pramādyet kuṭumby apivipaścin naśvaraṁ paśyedadṛṣṭam api dṛṣṭa-vat Translation: A householder taking care of many dependent family members should not become materially attached to them, nor should he become mentally unbalanced, considering himself to be the lord. An intelligent householder should see that all possible future happiness, just like that which he has already experienced, is temporary....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 53 Sanskrit: पुत्रदाराप्तबन्धूनां सङ्गम: पान्थसङ्गम: ।अनुदेहं वियन्त्येते स्वप्नो निद्रानुगो यथा ॥ ५३ ॥ ITRANS: putra-dārāpta-bandhūnāṁsaṅgamaḥ pāntha-saṅgamaḥanu-dehaṁ viyanty etesvapno nidrānugo yathā Translation: The association of children, wife, relatives and friends is just like the brief meeting of travelers. With each change of body one is separated from all such associates, just as one loses the objects one possesses in a dream when the dream is over....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 54 Sanskrit: इत्थं परिमृशन्मुक्तो गृहेष्वतिथिवद् वसन् ।न गृहैरनुबध्येत निर्ममो निरहङ्कृत: ॥ ५४ ॥ ITRANS: itthaṁ parimṛśan muktogṛheṣv atithi-vad vasanna gṛhair anubadhyetanirmamo nirahaṅkṛtaḥ Translation: Deeply considering the actual situation, a liberated soul should live at home just like a guest, without any sense of proprietorship or false ego. In this way he will not be bound or entangled by domestic affairs. Purport: The word mukta, or “liberated,” refers to one freed from all material attachment....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 55 Sanskrit: कर्मभिगृहमेधीयैरिष्ट्वा मामेव भक्तिमान् ।तिष्ठेद् वनं वोपविशेत् प्रजावान् वा परिव्रजेत् ॥ ५५ ॥ ITRANS: karmabhir gṛha-medhīyairiṣṭvā mām eva bhaktimāntiṣṭhed vanaṁ vopaviśetprajāvān vā parivrajet Translation: A householder devotee who worships Me by execution of his family duties may remain at home, go to a holy place or, if he has a responsible son, take sannyāsa. Purport: This verse describes the three alternatives for a householder....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 56 Sanskrit: यस्त्वासक्तमतिर्गेहे पुत्रवित्तैषणातुर: ।स्‍त्रैण: कृपणधीर्मूढो ममाहमिति बध्यते ॥ ५६ ॥ ITRANS: yas tv āsakta-matir geheputra-vittaiṣaṇāturaḥstraiṇaḥ kṛpaṇa-dhīr mūḍhomamāham iti badhyate Translation: But a householder whose mind is attached to his home and who is thus disturbed by ardent desires to enjoy his money and children, who is lusty after women, who is possessed of a miserly mentality and who unintelligently thinks, “Everything is mine and I am everything,” is certainly bound in illusion....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 57 Sanskrit: अहो मे पितरौ वृद्धौ भार्या बालात्मजात्मजा: ।अनाथा मामृते दीना: कथं जीवन्ति दु:खिता: ॥ ५७ ॥ ITRANS: aho me pitarau vṛddhaubhāryā bālātmajātmajāḥanāthā mām ṛte dīnāḥkathaṁ jīvanti duḥkhitāḥ Translation: “O my poor elderly parents, and my wife with a mere infant in her arms, and my other young children! Without me they have absolutely no one to protect them and will suffer unbearably....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 58 Sanskrit: एवं गृहाशयाक्षिप्तहृदयो मूढधीरयम् ।अतृप्तस्ताननुध्यायन् मृतोऽन्धं विशते तम: ॥ ५८ ॥ ITRANS: evaṁ gṛhāśayākṣipta-hṛdayo mūḍha-dhīr ayamatṛptas tān anudhyāyanmṛto ’ndhaṁ viśate tamaḥ Translation: Thus, because of his foolish mentality, a householder whose heart is overwhelmed by family attachment is never satisfied. Constantly meditating on his relatives, he dies and enters into the darkness of ignorance. Purport: Andhaṁ viśate tamaḥ indicates that in his next life an attached householder will certainly be degraded because of his primitive mentality of bodily attachment, which is called mūḍha-dhī....