Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 11 - Chapter 23

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 1 Sanskrit: श्रीबादरायणिरुवाचस एवमाशंसित उद्धवेनभागवतमुख्येन दाशार्हमुख्य: ।सभाजयन् भृत्यवचो मुकुन्द-स्तमाबभाषे श्रवणीयवीर्य: ॥ १ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvācasa evam āśaṁsita uddhavenabhāgavata-mukhyena dāśārha-mukhyaḥsabhājayan bhṛtya-vaco mukundastam ābabhāṣe śravaṇīya-vīryaḥ Translation: Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Lord Mukunda, the chief of the Dāśārhas, having thus been respectfully requested by the best of His devotees, Śrī Uddhava, first acknowledged the fitness of his servant’s statements. Then the Lord, whose glorious exploits are most worthy of being heard, began to reply to him....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 2 Sanskrit: श्रीभगवानुवाचबार्हस्पत्य स नास्त्यत्र साधुर्वै दुर्जनेरितै: ।दुरक्तैर्भिन्नमात्मानं य: समाधातुमीश्वर: ॥ २ ॥ ITRANS: śrī-bhagavān uvācabārhaspatya sa nāsty atrasādhur vai durjaneritaiḥduraktair bhinnam ātmānaṁyaḥ samādhātum īśvaraḥ Translation: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O disciple of Bṛhaspati, there is virtually no saintly man in this world capable of resettling his own mind after it has been disturbed by the insulting words of uncivilized men. Purport: In the modern age there is widespread propaganda ridiculing the path of spiritual realization, and thus even saintly devotees are disturbed to see the progress of human society being obstructed....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 3 Sanskrit: न तथा तप्यते विद्ध: पुमान् बाणैस्तु मर्मगै: ।यथा तुदन्ति मर्मस्था ह्यसतां परुषेषव: ॥ ३ ॥ ITRANS: na tathā tapyate viddhaḥpumān bāṇais tu marma-gaiḥyathā tudanti marma-sthāhy asatāṁ paruṣeṣavaḥ Translation: Sharp arrows which pierce one’s chest and reach the heart do not cause as much suffering as the arrows of harsh, insulting words that become lodged within the heart when spoken by uncivilized men....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 4 Sanskrit: कथयन्ति महत्पुण्यमितिहासमिहोद्धव ।तमहं वर्णयिष्यामि निबोध सुसमाहित: ॥ ४ ॥ ITRANS: kathayanti mahat puṇyamitihāsam ihoddhavatam ahaṁ varṇayiṣyāminibodha su-samāhitaḥ Translation: My dear Uddhava, in this regard a most pious story is told, and I shall now describe it to you. Please listen with careful attention. Purport: The Lord will now relate to Uddhava a historical account which teaches how to tolerate the insults of others....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 5 Sanskrit: केनचिद् भिक्षुणा गीतं परिभूतेन दुर्जनै: ।स्मरता धृतियुक्तेन विपाकं निजकर्मणाम् ॥ ५ ॥ ITRANS: kenacid bhikṣuṇā gītaṁparibhūtena durjanaiḥsmaratā dhṛti-yuktenavipākaṁ nija-karmaṇām Translation: Once a certain sannyāsī was insulted in many ways by impious men. However, with determination he remembered that he was suffering the fruit of his own previous karma. I will narrate to you his story and that which he spoke....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 6 Sanskrit: अवन्तिषु द्विज: कश्चिदासीदाढ्यतम: श्रिया ।वार्तावृत्ति: कदर्यस्तु कामी लुब्धोऽतिकोपन: ॥ ६ ॥ ITRANS: avantiṣu dvijaḥ kaścidāsīd āḍhyatamaḥ śriyāvārtā-vṛttiḥ kadaryas tukāmī lubdho ’ti-kopanaḥ Translation: In the country of Avantī there once lived a certain brāhmaṇa who was very rich and gifted with all opulences, and who was engaged in the occupation of commerce. But he was a miserly person — lusty, greedy and very prone to anger....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 7 Sanskrit: ज्ञातयोऽतिथयस्तस्य वाङ्‍मात्रेणापि नार्चिता: ।शून्यावसथ आत्मापि काले कामैरनर्चित: ॥ ७ ॥ ITRANS: jñātayo ’tithayas tasyavāṅ-mātreṇāpi nārcitāḥśūnyāvasatha ātmāpikāle kāmair anarcitaḥ Translation: In his home, devoid of religiosity and lawful sense gratification, the family members and guests were never properly respected, even with words. He would not even allow sufficient gratification for his own body at the suitable times. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 8 Sanskrit: दु:शीलस्य कदर्यस्य द्रुह्यन्ते पुत्रबान्धवा: ।दारा दुहितरो भृत्या विषण्णा नाचरन् प्रियम् ॥ ८ ॥ ITRANS: duḥśīlasya kadaryasyadruhyante putra-bāndhavāḥdārā duhitaro bhṛtyāviṣaṇṇā nācaran priyam Translation: Since he was so hardhearted and miserly, his sons, in-laws, wife, daughters and servants began to feel inimical toward him. Becoming disgusted, they would never treat him with affection. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 9 Sanskrit: तस्यैवं यक्षवित्तस्य च्युतस्योभयलोकत: ।धर्मकामविहीनस्य चुक्रुधु: पञ्चभागिन: ॥ ९ ॥ ITRANS: tasyaivaṁ yakṣa-vittasyacyutasyobhaya-lokataḥdharma-kāma-vihīnasyacukrudhuḥ pañca-bhāginaḥ Translation: In this way the presiding deities of the five family sacrifices became angry at the brāhmaṇa, who, being niggardly, guarded his wealth like a Yakṣa, who had no good destination either in this world or the next, and who was totally deprived of religiosity and sense enjoyment....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 10 Sanskrit: तदवध्यानविस्रस्तपुण्यस्कन्धस्य भूरिद ।अर्थोऽप्यगच्छन्निधनं बह्वायासपरिश्रम: ॥ १० ॥ ITRANS: tad-avadhyāna-visrasta-puṇya-skandhasya bhūri-daartho ’py agacchan nidhanaṁbahv-āyāsa-pariśramaḥ Translation: O magnanimous Uddhava, by his neglect of these demigods he depleted his stock of piety and all his wealth. The accumulation of his repeated exhaustive endeavors was totally lost. Purport: The brāhmaṇa’s stock of piety became like a withered branch that no longer gives fruits or flowers....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 11 Sanskrit: ज्ञातयो जगृहु: किञ्चित् किञ्चिद् दस्यव उद्धव ।दैवत: कालत: किञ्चिद् ब्रह्मबन्धोर्नृपार्थिवात् ॥ ११ ॥ ITRANS: jñātyo jagṛhuḥ kiñcitkiñcid dasyava uddhavadaivataḥ kālataḥ kiñcidbrahma-bandhor nṛ-pārthivāt Translation: Some of the wealth of this so-called brāhmaṇa was taken away by his relatives, My dear Uddhava, some by thieves, some by the whims of providence, some by the effects of time, some by ordinary men and some by government authorities....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 12 Sanskrit: स एवं द्रविणे नष्टे धर्मकामविवर्जित: ।उपेक्षितश्च स्वजनैश्चिन्तामाप दुरत्ययाम् ॥ १२ ॥ ITRANS: sa evaṁ draviṇe naṣṭedharma-kāma-vivarjitaḥupekṣitaś ca sva-janaiścintām āpa duratyayām Translation: Finally, when his property was completely lost, he who never engaged in religiosity or sense enjoyment became ignored by his family members. Thus he began to feel unbearable anxiety. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 13 Sanskrit: तस्यैवं ध्यायतो दीर्घं नष्टरायस्तपस्विन: ।खिद्यतो बाष्पकण्ठस्य निर्वेद: सुमहानभूत् ॥ १३ ॥ ITRANS: tasyaivaṁ dhyāyato dīrghaṁnaṣṭa-rāyas tapasvinaḥkhidyato bāṣpa-kaṇṭhasyanirvedaḥ su-mahān abhūt Translation: Having lost all his wealth, he felt great pain and lamentation. His throat choked up with tears, and he meditated for a long time on his fortune. Then a powerful feeling of renunciation came over him. Purport: The brāhmaṇa had previously been trained in pious life, but his past goodness was covered by his offensive behavior....

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 14 Sanskrit: स चाहेदमहो कष्टं वृथात्मा मेऽनुतापित: ।न धर्माय न कामाय यस्यार्थायास ईद‍ृश: ॥ १४ ॥ ITRANS: sa cāhedam aho kaṣṭaṁvṛthātmā me ’nutāpitaḥna dharmāya na kāmāyayasyārthāyāsa īdṛśaḥ Translation: The brāhmaṇa spoke as follows: O what great misfortune! I have simply tormented myself uselessly, struggling so hard for money that was not even intended for religiosity or material enjoyment. Purport:

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 11 - Chapter 1 - Verse 15 Sanskrit: प्रायेणार्था: कदर्याणां न सुखाय कदाचन ।इह चात्मोपतापाय मृतस्य नरकाय च ॥ १५ ॥ ITRANS: prāyeṇārthāḥ kadaryāṇāṁna sukhāya kadācanaiha cātmopatāpāyamṛtasya narakāya ca Translation: Generally, the wealth of misers never allows them any happiness. In this life it causes their self-torment, and when they die it sends them to hell. Purport: A miser is afraid to spend his money even for obligatory religious and social duties....