Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 28-32
Sanskrit:
श्रीउद्धव उवाचयम: कतिविध: प्रोक्तो नियमो वारिकर्षण ।क: शम: को दम: कृष्ण का तितिक्षा धृति: प्रभो ॥ २८ ॥किं दानं किं तप: शौर्यं किम् सत्यमृतमुच्यते ।कस्त्याग: किं धनं चेष्टं को यज्ञ: का च दक्षिणा ॥ २९ ॥पुंस: किं स्विद् बलं श्रीमन् भगो लाभश्च केशव ।का विद्या ह्री: परा का श्री: किं सुखं दु:खमेव च ॥ ३० ॥क: पण्डित: कश्च मूर्ख: क: पन्था उत्पथश्च क: ।क: स्वर्गो नरक: क: स्वित् को बन्धुरुत किं गृहम् ॥ ३१ ॥क आढ्य: को दरिद्रो वा कृपण: क: क ईश्वर: ।एतान् प्रश्नान् मम ब्रूहि विपरीतांश्च सत्पते ॥ ३२ ॥
ITRANS:
śrī-uddhava uvācayamaḥ kati-vidhaḥ proktoniyamo vāri-karṣaṇakaḥ śamaḥ ko damaḥ kṛṣṇakā titikṣā dhṛtiḥ prabho
Translation:
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, O chastiser of the enemies, please tell me how many types of disciplinary regulations and regular daily duties there are. Also, my Lord, tell me what is mental equilibrium, what is self-control, and what is the actual meaning of tolerance and steadfastness. What are charity, austerity and heroism, and how are reality and truth to be described? What is renunciation, and what is wealth? What is desirable, what is sacrifice, and what is religious remuneration? My dear Keśava, O most fortunate one, how am I to understand the strength, opulence and profit of a particular person? What is the best education, what is actual humility, and what is real beauty? What are happiness and unhappiness? Who is learned, and who is a fool? What are the true and the false paths in life, and what are heaven and hell? Who is indeed a true friend, and what is one’s real home? Who is a rich man, and who is a poor man? Who is wretched, and who is an actual controller? O Lord of the devotees, kindly explain these matters to me, along with their opposites.
Purport:
All of the items mentioned in these five verses are defined in different ways by different cultures and societies throughout the world. Therefore, Śrī Uddhava is directly approaching the supreme authority, Lord Kṛṣṇa, to obtain the standard definition for these universal aspects of civilized life.