The Material World as the Great Forest of Enjoyment
VERSE 5.14.1
sa hovāca
sa eṣa dehātma-mānināṁ sattvādi-guṇa-viśeṣa-vikalpita-kuśalāku-śala-samavahāra-vinirmita-vividha-dehāvalibhir viyoga-saṁyogādy-anādi-saṁsārānubhavasya dvāra-bhūtena ṣaḍ-indriya-vargeṇa tasmin durgādhvavad asugame ’dhvany āpatita īśvarasya bhagavato viṣṇor vaśa-vartinyā māyayā jīva-loko ’yaṁ yathā vaṇik-sārtho ’rtha-paraḥ sva-deha-niṣpādita-karmānubhavaḥ śmaśānavad aśivatamāyāṁ saṁsārāṭavyāṁ gato nādyāpi viphala-bahu-pratiyogehas tat-tāpopaśamanīṁ hari-guru-caraṇāravinda-madhukarānupadavīm avarundhe.
SYNONYMS
saḥ — the self-realized devotee (Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī); ha — indeed; uvāca — spoke; saḥ — he (the conditioned soul); eṣaḥ — this one; deha-ātma-māninām — of those who foolishly take the body to be the self; sattva-ādi — of sattva, rajaḥ and tamaḥ; guṇa — by the modes; viśeṣa — particular; vikalpita — falsely constituted; kuśala — sometimes by favorable actions; akuśala — sometimes by very unfavorable actions; samavahāra — by a mixture of both; vinirmita — obtained; vividha — various types; deha-āvalibhiḥ — by the series of bodies; viyoga-saṁyoga-ādi — symptomized by giving up one type of body (viyoga) and accepting another (saṁyoga); anādi-saṁsāra-anubhavasya — of the perception of the beginningless process of transmigration; dvāra-bhūtena — existing as the doorways; ṣaṭ-indriya-vargeṇa — by these six senses (the mind and five knowledge-acquiring senses, namely the eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin); tasmin — on that; durga-adhva-vat — like a path that is very difficult to traverse; asugame — being difficult to pass through; adhvani — on a path in the forest; āpatitaḥ — happened; īśvarasya — of the controller; bhagavataḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu; vaśa-vartinyā — acting under the control; māyayā — by the material energy; jīva-lokaḥ — the conditioned living entity; ayam — this; yathā — exactly like; vaṇik — a merchant; sa-arthaḥ — having an object; artha-paraḥ — who is very attached to money; sva-deha-niṣpādita — performed by his own body; karma — the fruits of activities; anubhavaḥ — who experiences; śmaśāna-vat aśivatamāyām — like an inauspicious cemetery or place of burial; saṁsāra-aṭavyām — in the forest of material life; gataḥ — having entered; na — not; adya api — until now; viphala — unsuccessful; bahu-pratiyoga — full of great difficulties and varieties of miserable conditions; īhaḥ — whose activities here in this material world; tat-tāpa-upaśa-manīm — which pacifies the miseries of the forest of material life; hari-guru-caraṇa-aravinda — to the lotus feet of the Lord and His devotee; madhukara-anupadavīm — the road followed in pursuance of devotees who are attached like bumblebees; avarundhe — gain.
TRANSLATION
When King Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī about the direct meaning of the material forest, Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied as follows: My dear King, a man belonging to the mercantile community [vaṇik] is always interested in earning money. Sometimes he enters the forest to acquire some cheap commodities like wood and earth and sell them in the city at good prices. Similarly, the conditioned soul, being greedy, enters this material world for some material profit. Gradually he enters the deepest part of the forest, not really knowing how to get out. Having entered the material world, the pure soul becomes conditioned by the material atmosphere, which is created by the external energy under the control of Lord Viṣṇu. Thus the living entity comes under the control of the external energy, daivī māyā. Living independently and bewildered in the forest, he does not attain the association of devotees who are always engaged in the service of the Lord. Once in the bodily conception, he gets different types of bodies one after the other under the influence of material energy and impelled by the modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa]. In this way the conditioned soul goes sometimes to the heavenly planets, sometimes to the earthly planets and sometimes to the lower planets and lower species. Thus he suffers continuously due to different types of bodies. These sufferings and pains are sometimes mixed. Sometimes they are very severe, and sometimes they are not. These bodily conditions are acquired due to the conditioned soul’s mental speculation. He uses his mind and five senses to acquire knowledge, and these bring about the different bodies and different conditions. Using the senses under the control of the external energy, māyā, the living entity suffers the miserable conditions of material existence. He is actually searching for relief, but he is generally baffled, although sometimes he is relieved after great difficulty. Struggling for existence in this way, he cannot get the shelter of pure devotees, who are like bumblebees engaged in loving service at the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu.
VERSE 5.14.2
yasyām u ha vā ete ṣaḍ-indriya-nāmānaḥ karmaṇā dasyava eva te; tad yathā puruṣasya dhanaṁ yat kiñcid dharmaupayikaṁ bahu-kṛcchrādhigataṁ sākṣāt parama-puruṣārādhana-lakṣaṇo yo ’sau dharmas taṁ tu sāmparāya udāharanti; tad-dharmyaṁ dhanaṁ darśana-sparśana-śravaṇāsvādanāvaghrāṇa-saṅkalpa-vyavasāya-gṛha-grāmyopabhogena kunāthasyājitātmano yathā sārthasya vilum-panti.
SYNONYMS
yasyām — in which; u ha — certainly; vā — or; ete — all these; ṣaṭ-indriya-nāmānaḥ — who are named the six senses (the mind and the five knowledge-acquiring senses); karmaṇā — by their activity; dasyavaḥ — the plunderers; eva — certainly; te — they; tat — that; yathā — as; puruṣasya — of a person; dhanam — the wealth; yat — whatever; kiñcit — something; dharma-aupayikam — which is a means to religious principles; bahu-kṛcchra-adhigatam — earned after much hard labor; sākṣāt — directly; parama-puruṣa-ārādhana-lakṣaṇaḥ — whose symptoms are worship of the Supreme Lord by performance of sacrifices and so on; yaḥ — which; asau — that; dharmaḥ — religious principles; tam — that; tu — but; sāmparāye — for the benefit of the living entity after death; udāharanti — the wise declare; tat-dharmyam — religious (relating to the prosecution of the varṇāśrama-dharma); dhanam — wealth; darśana — by seeing; sparśana — by touching; śravaṇa — by hearing; āsvādana — by tasting; avaghrāṇa — by smelling; saṅkalpa — by determination; vyavasāya — by a conclusion; gṛha — in the material home; grāmya-upabhogena — by material sense gratification; kunāthasya — of the misguided conditioned soul; ajita-ātmanaḥ — who has not controlled himself; yathā — just as; sārthasya — of the living entity interested in sense gratification; vilumpanti — they plunder.
TRANSLATION
In the forest of material existence, the uncontrolled senses are like plunderers. The conditioned soul may earn some money for the advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but unfortunately the uncontrolled senses plunder his money through sense gratification. The senses are plunderers because they make one spend his money unnecessarily for seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, hearing, desiring and willing. In this way the conditioned soul is obliged to gratify his senses, and thus all his money is spent. This money is actually acquired for the execution of religious principles, but it is taken away by the plundering senses.
VERSE 5.14.3
atha ca yatra kauṭumbikā dārāpatyādayo nāmnā karmaṇā vṛka-sṛgālā evānicchato ’pi kadaryasya kuṭumbina uraṇakavat saṁrakṣyamāṇaṁ miṣato ’pi haranti.
SYNONYMS
atha — in this way; ca — also; yatra — in which; kauṭumbikāḥ — the family members; dāra-apatya-ādayaḥ — beginning with the wife and children; nāmnā — by name only; karmaṇā — by their behavior; vṛka-sṛgālāḥ — tigers and jackals; eva — certainly; anicchataḥ — of one who does not desire to spend his wealth; api — certainly; kadaryasya — being too miserly; kuṭumbinaḥ — who is surrounded by family members; uraṇaka-vat — like a lamb; saṁrakṣyamāṇam — although protected; miṣataḥ — of one who is observing; api — even; haranti — they forcibly take away.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, family members in this material world go under the names of wife and children, but actually they behave like tigers and jackals. A herdsman tries to protect his sheep to the best of his ability, but the tigers and foxes take them away by force. Similarly, although a miserly man wants to guard his money very carefully, his family members take away all his assets forcibly, even though he is very vigilant.
VERSE 5.14.4
yathā hy anuvatsaraṁ kṛṣyamāṇam apy adagdha-bījaṁ kṣetraṁ punar evāvapana-kāle gulma-tṛṇa-vīrudbhir gahvaram iva bhavaty evam eva gṛhāśramaḥ karma-kṣetraṁ yasmin na hi karmāṇy utsīdanti yad ayaṁ kāma-karaṇḍa eṣa āvasathaḥ.
SYNONYMS
yathā — just as; hi — certainly; anuvatsaram — every year; kṛṣyamāṇam — being plowed; api — although; adagdha-bījam — in which the seeds are not burned; kṣetram — the field; punaḥ — again; eva — certainly; āvapana-kāle — at the times for sowing the seeds; gulma — by bushes; tṛṇa — by grasses; vīrudbhiḥ — by the creepers; gahvaram iva — like a bower; bhavati — becomes; evam — thus; eva — certainly; gṛha-āśramaḥ — family life; karma-kṣetram — the field of activities; yasmin — in which; na — not; hi — certainly; karmāṇi utsīdanti — fruitive activities disappear; yat — therefore; ayam — this; kāma-karaṇḍaḥ — the storehouse of fruitive desire; eṣaḥ — this; āvasathaḥ — abode.
TRANSLATION
Every year the plowman plows over his grain field, completely uprooting all weeds. Nonetheless, the seeds lie there and, not being completely burned, again come up with the plants sown in the field. Even after being plowed under, the weeds come up densely. Similarly, the gṛhastha-āśrama [family life] is a field of fruitive activity. Unless the desire to enjoy family life is completely burned out, it grows up again and again. Even though camphor may be removed from a pot, the pot nonetheless retains the aroma of camphor. As long as the seeds of desire are not destroyed, fruitive activities are not destroyed.
VERSE 5.14.5
tatra gato daṁśa-maśaka-samāpasadair manujaiḥ śalabha-śakunta-taskara-mūṣakādibhir uparudhyamāna-bahiḥ-prāṇaḥ kvacit parivartamāno ’sminn adhvany avidyā-kāma-karmabhir uparakta-manasānupapannārthaṁ nara-lokaṁ gandharva-nagaram upapannam iti mithyā-dṛṣṭir anupaśyati.
SYNONYMS
tatra — to that household life; gataḥ — gone; daṁśa — gadflies; maśaka — mosquitoes; sama — equal to; apasadaiḥ — who are low-class; manu-jaiḥ — by men; śalabha — locusts; śakunta — a large bird of prey; taskara — thieves; mūṣaka-ādibhiḥ — by rats and so on; uparudhyamāna — being disturbed; bahiḥ-prāṇaḥ — the external life air in the form of wealth and so on; kvacit — sometimes; parivartamānaḥ — wandering; asmin — in this; adhvani — path of material existence; avidyā-kāma — by ignorance and lust; karmabhiḥ — and by fruitive activities; uparakta-manasā — due to the mind’s being influenced; anupapanna-artham — in which the desired results are never obtained; nara-lokam — this material world; gandharva-nagaram — a will-o’-the-wisp city; upapannam — existing; iti — taking it as; mithyā-dṛṣṭiḥ — he whose vision is mistaken; anupaśyati — observes.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul in household life, being attached to material wealth and possessions, is disturbed by gadflies and mosquitoes, and sometimes locusts, birds of prey and rats give him trouble. Nonetheless, he still wanders down the path of material existence. Due to ignorance he becomes lusty and engages in fruitive activity. Because his mind is absorbed in these activities, he sees the material world as permanent, although it is temporary like a phantasmagoria, a house in the sky.
VERSE 5.14.6
tatra ca kvacid ātapodaka-nibhān viṣayān upadhāvati pāna-bhojana-vyavāyādi-vyasana-lolupaḥ.
SYNONYMS
tatra — there (in this phantom place); ca — also; kvacit — sometimes; ātapa-udaka-nibhān — like the water in a mirage in the desert; viṣayān — the objects of sense enjoyment; upadhāvati — runs after; pāna — to drinking; bhojana — to eating; vyavāya — to sex life; ādi — and so on; vyasana — with addiction; lolupaḥ — a debauchee.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes in this house in the sky [gandharva-pura] the conditioned soul drinks, eats and has sex. Being overly attached, he chases after the objects of the senses just as a deer chases a mirage in the desert.
VERSE 5.14.7
kvacic cāśeṣa-doṣa-niṣadanaṁ purīṣa-viśeṣaṁ tad-varṇa-guṇa-nirmita-matiḥ suvarṇam upāditsaty agni-kāma-kātara ivolmuka-piśācam.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; ca — also; aśeṣa — unlimited; doṣa — of faults; niṣadanam — the source of; purīṣa — of stool; viśeṣam — a particular type; tat-varṇa-guṇa — whose color is the same as that of the mode of passion (reddish); nirmita-matiḥ — whose mind is absorbed in that; suvarṇam — gold; upāditsati — desiring to get; agni-kāma — by the desire for fire; kātaraḥ — who is troubled; iva — like; ulmuka-piśācam — a phosphorescent light known as a will-o’-the-wisp, which is sometimes mistaken for a ghost.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the living entity is interested in the yellow stool known as gold and runs after it. That gold is the source of material opulence and envy, and it can enable one to afford illicit sex, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication. Those whose minds are overcome by the mode of passion are attracted by the color of gold, just as a man suffering from cold in the forest runs after a phosphorescent light in a marshy land, considering it to be fire.
VERSE 5.14.8
atha kadācin nivāsa-pānīya-draviṇādy-anekātmopajīvanābhiniveśa etasyāṁ saṁsārāṭavyām itas tataḥ paridhāvati.
SYNONYMS
atha — in this way; kadācit — sometimes; nivāsa — residence; pānīya — water; draviṇa — wealth; ādi — and so on; aneka — in various items; ātma-upajīvana — which are considered necessary to maintain body and soul together; abhiniveśaḥ — a person fully absorbed; etasyām — in this; saṁsāra-aṭavyām — the material world, which is like a great forest; itaḥ tataḥ — here and there; paridhāvati — runs around.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul is absorbed in finding residential quarters or apartments and getting a supply of water and riches to maintain his body. Absorbed in acquiring a variety of necessities, he forgets everything and perpetually runs around the forest of material existence.
VERSE 5.14.9
kvacic ca vātyaupamyayā pramadayāroham āropitas tat-kāla-rajasā rajanī-bhūta ivāsādhu-maryādo rajas-valākṣo ’pi dig-devatā atirajas-vala-matir na vijānāti.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; ca — also; vātyā aupamyayā — compared to a whirlwind; pramadayā — by a beautiful woman; āroham āropitaḥ — raised onto the lap for sex enjoyment; tat-kāla-rajasā — by the passion of lusty desires at that moment; rajanī-bhūtaḥ — the darkness of night; iva — like; asādhu-maryādaḥ — who is without proper respect for the higher witnesses; rajaḥ-vala-akṣaḥ — blinded by strong lusty desires; api — certainly; dik-devatāḥ — the demigods in charge of different directions, like the sun and the moon; atirajaḥ-vala-matiḥ — whose mind is overcome by lust; na vijānāti — he does not know (that witnesses all around take note of his impudent sexual act).
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, as if blinded by the dust of a whirlwind, the conditioned soul sees the beauty of the opposite sex, which is called pramadā. Being thus bewildered, he is raised upon the lap of a woman, and at that time his good senses are overcome by the force of passion. He thus becomes almost blind with lusty desire and disobeys the rules and regulations governing sex life. He does not know that his disobedience is witnessed by different demigods, and he enjoys illicit sex in the dead of night, not seeing the future punishment awaiting him.
VERSE 5.14.10
kvacit sakṛd avagata-viṣaya-vaitathyaḥ svayaṁ parābhidhyānena vibhraṁśita-smṛtis tayaiva marīci-toya-prāyāṁs tān evābhidhāvati.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; sakṛt — once; avagata-viṣaya-vaitathyaḥ — becoming conscious of the uselessness of enjoying material sense gratification; svayam — himself; para-abhidhyānena — by the bodily concept of the self; vibhraṁśita — destroyed; smṛtiḥ — whose remembrance; tayā — by that; eva — certainly; marīci-toya — water in a mirage; prāyān — similar to; tān — those sense objects; eva — certainly; abhidhāvati — runs after.
TRANSLATION
The conditioned soul sometimes personally appreciates the futility of sense enjoyment in the material world, and he sometimes considers material enjoyment to be full of miseries. However, due to his strong bodily conception, his memory is destroyed, and again and again he runs after material enjoyment, just as an animal runs after a mirage in the desert.
VERSE 5.14.11
kvacid ulūka-jhillī-svanavad ati-paruṣa-rabhasāṭopaṁ pratyakṣaṁ parokṣaṁ vā ripu-rāja-kula-nirbhartsitenāti-vyathita-karṇa-mūla-hṛdayaḥ.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; ulūka — of the owl; jhillī — and the cricket; svana-vat — exactly like intolerable sounds; ati-paruṣa — extremely piercing; rabhasa — by perseverance; āṭopam — agitation; pratyakṣam — directly; parokṣam — indirectly; vā — or; ripu — of enemies; rāja-kula — and of government officers; nirbhartsitena — by chastisement; ati-vyathita — very aggrieved; karṇa-mūla-hṛdayaḥ — whose ear and heart.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul is very aggrieved by the chastisement of his enemies and government servants, who use harsh words against him directly or indirectly. At that time his heart and ears become very saddened. Such chastisement may be compared to the sounds of owls and crickets.
VERSE 5.14.12
sa yadā dugdha-pūrva-sukṛtas tadā kāraskara-kākatuṇḍādy-apuṇya-druma-latā-viṣoda-pānavad ubhayārtha-śūnya-draviṇān jīvan-mṛtān svayaṁ jīvan-mriyamāṇa upadhāvati.
SYNONYMS
saḥ — that conditioned soul; yadā — when; dugdha — exhausted; pūrva — previous; sukṛtaḥ — pious activities; tadā — at that time; kāraskara-kākatuṇḍa-ādi — named kāraskara, kākatuṇḍa, etc; apuṇya-druma-latā — impious trees and creepers; viṣa-uda-pāna-vat — like wells with poisonous water; ubhaya-artha-śūnya — which cannot give happiness either in this life or in the next; draviṇān — those who possess wealth; jīvat-mṛtān — who are dead, although apparently alive; svayam — he himself; jīvat — living; mriyamāṇaḥ — being dead; upadhāvati — approaches for material acquisition.
TRANSLATION
Due to his pious activities in previous lives, the conditioned soul attains material facilities in this life, but when they are finished, he takes shelter of wealth and riches, which cannot help him in this life or the next. Because of this, he approaches the living dead who possess these things. Such people are compared to impure trees, creepers and poisonous wells.
VERSE 5.14.13
ekadāsat-prasaṅgān nikṛta-matir vyudaka-srotaḥ-skhalanavad ubhayato ’pi duḥkhadaṁ pākhaṇḍam abhiyāti.
SYNONYMS
ekadā — sometimes; asat-prasaṅgāt — by association of nondevotees who are against the Vedic principles and who manufacture different paths of religion; nikṛta-matiḥ — whose intelligence has been brought to the abominable status of defying the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vyudaka-srotaḥ — into rivers without sufficient water; skhalana-vat — like jumping; ubhayataḥ — from both sides; api — although; duḥkha-dam — giving distress; pākhaṇḍam — the atheistic path; abhiyāti — he approaches.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, to mitigate distresses in this forest of the material world, the conditioned soul receives cheap blessings from atheists. He then loses all intelligence in their association. This is exactly like jumping in a shallow river. As a result one simply breaks his head. He is not able to mitigate his sufferings from the heat, and in both ways he suffers. The misguided conditioned soul also approaches so-called sādhus and svāmīs who preach against the principles of the Vedas. He does not receive benefit from them, either in the present or in the future.
VERSE 5.14.14
yadā tu para-bādhayāndha ātmane nopanamati tadā hi pitṛ-putra-barhiṣmataḥ pitṛ-putrān vā sa khalu bhakṣayati.
SYNONYMS
yadā — when; tu — but (because of misfortune); para-bādhayā — in spite of exploiting all others; andhaḥ — blind; ātmane — for himself; na upanamati — does not fall into one’s share; tadā — at that time; hi — certainly; pitṛ-putra — of the father or sons; barhiṣmataḥ — as insignificant as a piece of grass; pitṛ-putrān — father or sons; vā — or; saḥ — he (the conditioned soul); khalu — indeed; bhakṣayati — gives trouble to.
TRANSLATION
In this material world, when the conditioned soul cannot arrange for his own maintenance, despite exploiting others, he tries to exploit his own father or son, taking away that relative’s possessions, although they may be very insignificant. If he cannot acquire things from his father, son or other relatives, he is prepared to give them all kinds of trouble.
VERSE 5.14.15
kvacid āsādya gṛhaṁ dāvavat priyārtha-vidhuram asukhodarkaṁ śokāgninā dahyamāno bhṛśaṁ nirvedam upagacchati.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; āsādya — experiencing; gṛham — the home life; dāva-vat — exactly like a blazing fire in the forest; priya-artha-vidhuram — without any beneficial object; asukha-udarkam — resulting only in more and more unhappiness; śoka-agninā — by the fire of lamentation; dahyamānaḥ — being burned; bhṛśam — very great; nirvedam — disappointment; upagacchati — he obtains.
TRANSLATION
In this world, family life is exactly like a blazing fire in the forest. There is not the least happiness, and gradually one becomes more and more implicated in unhappiness. In household life, there is nothing favorable for perpetual happiness. Being implicated in home life, the conditioned soul is burned by the fire of lamentation. Sometimes he condemns himself as being very unfortunate, and sometimes he claims that he suffers because he performed no pious activities in his previous life.
VERSE 5.14.16
kvacit kāla-viṣa-mita-rāja-kula-rakṣasāpahṛta-priyatama-dhanāsuḥ pramṛtaka iva vigata-jīva-lakṣaṇa āste.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; kāla-viṣa-mita — made crooked by time; rāja-kula — the government men; rakṣasā — by those who are like carnivorous human beings; apahṛta — being plundered; priya-tama — most dear; dhana — in the form of wealth; asuḥ — whose life air; pramṛtakaḥ — dead; iva — like; vigata-jīva-lakṣaṇaḥ — bereft of all signs of life; āste — he remains.
TRANSLATION
Government men are always like carnivorous demons called Rākṣasas [man-eaters]. Sometimes these government men turn against the conditioned soul and take away all his accumulated wealth. Being bereft of his life’s reserved wealth, the conditioned soul loses all enthusiasm. Indeed, it is as though he loses his life.
VERSE 5.14.17
kadācin manorathopagata-pitṛ-pitāmahādy asat sad iti svapna-nirvṛti-lakṣaṇam anubhavati.
SYNONYMS
kadācit — sometimes; manoratha-upagata — obtained by mental concoction; pitṛ — the father; pitā-maha-ādi — or grandfather and others; asat — although long dead (and although no one knows that the soul has gone); sat — again the father or grandfather has come; iti — thus thinking; svapna-nirvṛti-lakṣaṇam — the kind of happiness found in dreams; anubhavati — the conditioned soul feels.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul imagines that his father or grandfather has again come in the form of his son or grandson. In this way he feels the happiness one sometimes feels in a dream, and the conditioned soul sometimes takes pleasure in such mental concoctions.
VERSE 5.14.18
kvacid gṛhāśrama-karma-codanāti-bhara-girim ārurukṣamāṇo loka-vyasana-karṣita-manāḥ kaṇṭaka-śarkarā-kṣetraṁ praviśann iva sīdati.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; gṛha-āśrama — in householder life; karma-codana — of the rules of fruitive activity; ati-bhara-girim — the big hill; ārurukṣamāṇaḥ — desiring to ascend; loka — material; vyasana — to pursuits; karṣita-manāḥ — whose mind is attracted; kaṇṭaka-śarkarā-kṣetram — a field covered with thorns and sharp pebbles; praviśan — entering; iva — like; sīdati — he laments.
TRANSLATION
In household life one is ordered to execute many yajñas and fruitive activities, especially the vivāha-yajña [the marriage ceremony for sons and daughters] and the sacred thread ceremony. These are all the duties of a gṛhastha, and they are very extensive and troublesome to execute. They are compared to a big hill over which one must cross when one is attached to material activities. A person desiring to cross over these ritualistic ceremonies certainly feels pains like the piercing of thorns and pebbles endured by one attempting to climb a hill. Thus the conditioned soul suffers unlimitedly.
VERSE 5.14.19
kvacic ca duḥsahena kāyābhyantara-vahninā gṛhīta-sāraḥ sva-kuṭumbāya krudhyati.
SYNONYMS
kvacit ca — and sometimes; duḥsahena — unbearable; kāya-abhyantara-vahninā — because of the fire of hunger and thirst within the body; gṛhīta-sāraḥ — whose patience is exhausted; sva-kuṭumbāya — unto his own family members; krudhyati — he becomes angry.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, due to bodily hunger and thirst, the conditioned soul becomes so disturbed that he loses his patience and becomes angry with his own beloved sons, daughters and wife. Thus, being unkind to them, he suffers all the more.
VERSE 5.14.20
sa eva punar nidrājagara-gṛhīto ’ndhe tamasi magnaḥ śūnyāraṇya iva śete nānyat-kiñcana veda śava ivāpaviddhaḥ.
SYNONYMS
saḥ — that conditioned soul; eva — certainly; punaḥ — again; nidrā-ajagara — by the python of deep sleep; gṛhītaḥ — being devoured; andhe — in deep darkness; tamasi — in ignorance; magnaḥ — being absorbed; śūnya-araṇye — in the isolated forest; iva — like; śete — he lies down; na — not; anyat — else; kiñcana — anything; veda — knows; śavaḥ — a dead body; iva — like; apaviddhaḥ — thrown away.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued speaking to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: My dear King, sleep is exactly like a python. Those who wander in the forest of material life are always devoured by the python of sleep. Being bitten by this python, they always remain in the darkness of ignorance. They are like dead bodies thrown in a distant forest. Thus the conditioned souls cannot understand what is going on in life.
VERSE 5.14.21
kadācid bhagna-māna-daṁṣṭro durjana-danda-śūkair alabdha-nidrā-kṣaṇo vyathita-hṛdayenānukṣīyamāṇa-vijñāno ’ndha-kūpe ’ndhavat patati.
SYNONYMS
kadācit — sometimes; bhagna-māna-daṁṣṭraḥ — whose teeth of pride are broken; durjana-danda-śūkaiḥ — by the envious activities of evil men, who are compared to a kind of serpent; alabdha-nidrā-kṣaṇaḥ — who does not get an opportunity to sleep; vyathita-hṛdayena — by a disturbed mind; anukṣīyamāṇa — gradually being decreased; vijñānaḥ — whose real consciousness; andha-kūpe — in a blind well; andha-vat — like illusion; patati — he falls down.
TRANSLATION
In the forest of the material world, the conditioned soul is sometimes bitten by envious enemies, which are compared to serpents and other creatures. Through the tricks of the enemy, the conditioned soul falls from his prestigious position. Being anxious, he cannot even sleep properly. He thus becomes more and more unhappy, and he gradually loses his intelligence and consciousness. In that state he becomes almost perpetually like a blind man who has fallen into a dark well of ignorance.
VERSE 5.14.22
karhi sma cit kāma-madhu-lavān vicinvan yadā para-dāra-para-drav-yāṇy avarundhāno rājñā svāmibhir vā nihataḥ pataty apāre niraye.
SYNONYMS
karhi sma cit — sometimes; kāma-madhu-lavān — little drops of honeylike sense gratification; vicinvan — searching after; yadā — when; para-dāra — another’s wife, or a woman other than his own wife; para-dravyāṇi — another’s money and possessions; avarundhānaḥ — taking as his own property; rājñā — by the government; svāmibhiḥ vā — or by the husband or relatives of the woman; nihataḥ — severely beaten; patati — he falls down; apāre — into unlimitedly; niraye — hellish conditions of life (the government’s prison for criminal activities like rape, kidnapping or theft of others’ property).
TRANSLATION
The conditioned soul is sometimes attracted to the little happiness derived from sense gratification. Thus he has illicit sex or steals another’s property. At such a time he may be arrested by the government or chastised by the woman’s husband or protector. Thus simply for a little material satisfaction, he falls into a hellish condition and is put into jail for rape, kidnapping, theft and so forth.
VERSE 5.14.23
atha ca tasmād ubhayathāpi hi karmāsminn ātmanaḥ saṁsārāvapanam udāharanti.
SYNONYMS
atha — now; ca — and; tasmāt — because of this; ubhayathā api — both in this life and in the next; hi — undoubtedly; karma — fruitive activities; asmin — on this path of sense enjoyment; ātmanaḥ — of the living entity; saṁsāra — of material life; āvapanam — the cultivation ground or source; udāharanti — the authorities of the Vedas say.
TRANSLATION
Learned scholars and transcendentalists therefore condemn the materialistic path of fruitive activity because it is the original source and breeding ground of material miseries, both in this life and in the next.
VERSE 5.14.24
muktas tato yadi bandhād devadatta upācchinatti tasmād api viṣṇumitra ity anavasthitiḥ.
SYNONYMS
muktaḥ — liberated; tataḥ — from that; yadi — if; bandhāt — from the government imprisonment or being beaten by the protector of the woman; deva-dattaḥ — person named Devadatta; upācchinatti — takes the money from him; tasmāt — from the person named Devadatta; api — again; viṣṇu-mitraḥ — a person named Viṣṇumitra; iti — thus; anavasthitiḥ — the riches do not stay in one place but pass from one hand to another.
TRANSLATION
Stealing or cheating another person out of his money, the conditioned soul somehow or other keeps it in his possession and escapes punishment. Then another man, named Devadatta, cheats him and takes the money away. Similarly, another man, named Viṣṇumitra, steals the money from Devadatta and takes it away. In any case, the money does not stay in one place. It passes from one hand to another. Ultimately no one can enjoy the money, and it remains the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
VERSE 5.14.25
kvacic ca śīta-vātādy-anekādhidaivika-bhautikātmīyānāṁ daśānāṁ pratinivāraṇe ’kalpo duranta-cintayā viṣaṇṇa āste.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; ca — also; śīta-vāta-ādi — such as cold and strong wind; aneka — various; adhidaivika — created by the demigods; bhautika — adhibhautika, created by other living beings; ātmīyānām — adhyātmika, created by the body and mind; daśānām — of conditions of misery; pratinivāraṇe — in the counteracting; akalpaḥ — unable; duranta — very severe; cintayā — by anxieties; viṣaṇṇaḥ — morose; āste — he remains.
TRANSLATION
Being unable to protect himself from the threefold miseries of material existence, the conditioned soul becomes very morose and lives a life of lamentation. These threefold miseries are miseries suffered by mental calamity at the hands of the demigods [such as freezing wind and scorching heat], miseries offered by other living entities, and miseries arising from the mind and body themselves.
VERSE 5.14.26
kvacin mitho vyavaharan yat kiñcid dhanam anyebhyo vā kākiṇikā-mātram apy apaharan yat kiñcid vā vidveṣam eti vitta-śāṭhyāt.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; mithaḥ — with one another; vyavaharan — trading; yat kiñcit — whatever little bit; dhanam — money; anyebhyaḥ — from others; vā — or; kākiṇikā-mātram — a very small amount (twenty cowries); api — certainly; apaharan — taking away by cheating; yat kiñcit — whatever small amount; vā — or; vidveṣam eti — creates enmity; vitta-śāṭhyāt — because of cheating.
TRANSLATION
As far as transactions with money are concerned, if one person cheats another by a farthing or less, they become enemies.
VERSE 5.14.27
adhvany amuṣminn ima upasargās tathā sukha-duḥkha-rāga-dveṣa-bhayābhimāna-pramādonmāda-śoka-moha-lobha-mātsaryerṣyāva-māna-kṣut-pipāsādhi-vyādhi-janma-jarā-maraṇādayaḥ.
SYNONYMS
adhvani — on the path of material life; amuṣmin — on that; ime — all these; upasargāḥ — eternal difficulties; tathā — so much also; sukha — so-called happiness; duḥkha — unhappiness; rāga — attachment; dveṣa — hate; bhaya — fear; abhimāna — false prestige; pramāda — illusion; unmāda — madness; śoka — lamentation; moha — bewilderment; lobha — greed; mātsarya — envy; īrṣya — enmity; avamāna — insult; kṣut — hunger; pipāsā — thirst; ādhi — tribulations; vyādhi — disease; janma — birth; jarā — old age; maraṇa — death; ādayaḥ — and so on.
TRANSLATION
In this materialistic life, there are many difficulties, as I have just mentioned, and all of these are insurmountable. In addition, there are difficulties arising from so-called happiness, distress, attachment, hate, fear, false prestige, illusion, madness, lamentation, bewilderment, greed, envy, enmity, insult, hunger, thirst, tribulation, disease, birth, old age and death. All these combine together to give the materialistic conditioned soul nothing but misery.
VERSE 5.14.28
kvāpi deva-māyayā striyā bhuja-latopagūḍhaḥ praskanna-viveka-vijñāno yad-vihāra-gṛhārambhākula-hṛdayas tad-āśrayāvasakta-suta-duhitṛ-kalatra-bhāṣitāvaloka-viceṣṭitāpahṛta-hṛdaya ātmānam ajitātmāpāre ’ndhe tamasi prahiṇoti.
SYNONYMS
kvāpi — somewhere; deva-māyayā — by the influence of the illusory energy; striyā — in the form of one’s girlfriend or wife; bhuja-latā — by beautiful arms, which are compared to tender creepers in the forest; upagūḍhaḥ — being deeply embraced; praskanna — lost; viveka — all intelligence; vijñānaḥ — scientific knowledge; yat-vihāra — for the enjoyment of the wife; gṛha-ārambha — to find a house or apartment; ākula-hṛdayaḥ — whose heart becomes engrossed; tat — of that house; āśraya-avasakta — who are under the shelter; suta — of sons; duhitṛ — of daughters; kalatra — of the wife; bhāṣita-avaloka — by the conversations and by their beautiful glances; viceṣṭita — by activities; apahṛta-hṛdayaḥ — whose consciousness is taken away; ātmānam — himself; ajita — uncontrolled; ātmā — whose self; apāre — in unlimited; andhe — blind darkness; tamasi — in hellish life; prahiṇoti — he hurls.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul is attracted by illusion personified (his wife or girlfriend) and becomes eager to be embraced by a woman. Thus he loses his intelligence as well as knowledge of life’s goal. At that time, no longer attempting spiritual cultivation, he becomes overly attached to his wife or girlfriend and tries to provide her with a suitable apartment. Again, he becomes very busy under the shelter of that home and is captivated by the talks, glances and activities of his wife and children. In this way he loses his Kṛṣṇa consciousness and throws himself in the dense darkness of material existence.
VERSE 5.14.29
kadācid īśvarasya bhagavato viṣṇoś cakrāt paramāṇv-ādi-dvi-parārdhāpavarga-kālopalakṣaṇāt parivartitena vayasā raṁhasā harata ābrahma-tṛṇa-stambādīnāṁ bhūtānām animiṣato miṣatāṁ vitrasta-hṛdayas tam eveśvaraṁ kāla-cakra-nijāyudhaṁ sākṣād bhagavantaṁ yajña-puruṣam anādṛtya pākhaṇḍa-devatāḥ kaṅka-gṛdhra-baka-vaṭa-prāyā ārya-samaya-parihṛtāḥ sāṅketyenābhidhatte.
SYNONYMS
kadācit — sometimes; īśvarasya — of the Supreme Lord; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu; cakrāt — from the disc; paramāṇu-ādi — beginning from the time of minute atoms; dvi-parārdha — the duration of the life of Brahmā; apavarga — ending; kāla — of time; upalakṣaṇāt — having the symptoms; parivartitena — revolving; vayasā — by the chronological order of ages; raṁhasā — swiftly; harataḥ — taking away; ā-brahma — beginning from Lord Brahmā; tṛṇa-stamba-ādīnām — down to the small clumps of grass; bhūtānām — of all living entities; animiṣataḥ — without blinking the eyes (without fail); miṣatām — before the eyes of the living entities (without their being able to stop it); vitrasta-hṛdayaḥ — being afraid in the heart; tam — Him; eva — certainly; īśvaram — the Supreme Lord; kāla-cakra-nija-āyudham — whose personal weapon is the disc of time; sākṣāt — directly; bhagavantam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yajña-puruṣam — who accepts all kinds of sacrificial ceremonies; anādṛtya — without caring for; pākhaṇḍa-devatāḥ — concocted incarnations of God (man-made gods or demigods); kaṅka — buzzards; gṛdhra — vultures; baka — herons; vaṭa-prāyāḥ — like crows; ārya-samaya-parihṛtāḥ — who are rejected by authorized Vedic scriptures accepted by the Āryans; sāṅketyena — by concoction or with no basis of authority indicated by scripture; abhidhatte — he accepts as worshipable.
TRANSLATION
The personal weapon used by Lord Kṛṣṇa, the disc, is called hari-cakra, the disc of Hari. This cakra is the wheel of time. It expands from the beginning of the atoms up to the time of Brahmā’s death, and it controls all activities. It is always revolving and spending the lives of the living entities, from Lord Brahmā down to an insignificant blade of grass. Thus one changes from infancy, to childhood, to youth and maturity, and thus one approaches the end of life. It is impossible to check this wheel of time. This wheel is very exacting because it is the personal weapon of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes the conditioned soul, fearing the approach of death, wants to worship someone who can save him from imminent danger. Yet he does not care for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose weapon is the indefatigable time factor. The conditioned soul instead takes shelter of a man-made god described in unauthorized scriptures. Such gods are like buzzards, vultures, herons and crows. Vedic scriptures do not refer to them. Imminent death is like the attack of a lion, and neither vultures, buzzards, crows nor herons can save one from such an attack. One who takes shelter of unauthorized man-made gods cannot be saved from the clutches of death.
VERSE 5.14.30
yadā pākhaṇḍibhir ātma-vañcitais tair uru vañcito brahma-kulaṁ samāvasaṁs teṣāṁ śīlam upanayanādi-śrauta-smārta-karmānuṣṭhā-nena bhagavato yajña-puruṣasyārādhanam eva tad arocayan śūdra-kulaṁ bhajate nigamācāre ’śuddhito yasya mithunī-bhāvaḥ kuṭumba-bharaṇaṁ yathā vānara-jāteḥ.
SYNONYMS
yadā — when; pākhaṇḍibhiḥ — by pāṣaṇḍīs (godless atheists); ātma-vañcitaiḥ — who themselves are cheated; taiḥ — by them; uru — more and more; vañcitaḥ — being cheated; brahma-kulam — the bona fide brāhmaṇas strictly following the Vedic culture; samāvasan — settling among them to advance spiritually; teṣām — of them (the brāhmaṇas who strictly follow Vedic principles); śīlam — the good character; upanayana-ādi — beginning with offering the sacred thread or training the conditioned soul to qualify as a bona fide brāhmaṇa; śrauta — according to the Vedic principles; smārta — according to the authorized scriptures derived from the Vedas; karma-anuṣṭhānena — the performance of activities; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yajña-puruṣasya — who is worshiped by Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; ārādhanam — the process of worshiping Him; eva — certainly; tat arocayan — not finding pleasure in it due to its being difficult for unscrupulous persons to perform; śūdra-kulam — the society of śūdras; bhajate — he turns to; nigama-ācāre — in behaving according to Vedic principles; aśuddhitaḥ — not purified; yasya — of whom; mithunī-bhāvaḥ — sex enjoyment or the materialistic way of life; kuṭumba-bharaṇam — the maintenance of the family; yathā — as it is; vānara-jāteḥ — of the society of monkeys, or the descendants of the monkey.
TRANSLATION
The pseudo svāmīs, yogīs and incarnations who do not believe in the Supreme Personality of Godhead are known as pāṣaṇḍīs. They themselves are fallen and cheated because they do not know the real path of spiritual advancement, and whoever goes to them is certainly cheated in his turn. When one is thus cheated, he sometimes takes shelter of the real followers of Vedic principles [brāhmaṇas or those in Kṛṣṇa consciousness], who teach everyone how to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to the Vedic rituals. However, being unable to stick to these principles, these rascals again fall down and take shelter among śūdras who are very expert in making arrangements for sex indulgence. Sex is very prominent among animals like monkeys, and such people who are enlivened by sex may be called descendants of monkeys.
VERSE 5.14.31
tatrāpi niravarodhaḥ svaireṇa viharann ati-kṛpaṇa-buddhir anyonya-mukha-nirīkṣaṇādinā grāmya-karmaṇaiva vismṛta-kālāvadhiḥ.
SYNONYMS
tatra api — in that condition (in the society of human beings descended from monkeys); niravarodhaḥ — without hesitation; svaireṇa — independently, without reference to the goal of life; viharan — enjoying like monkeys; ati-kṛpaṇa-buddhiḥ — whose intelligence is dull because he does not properly utilize his assets; anyonya — of one another; mukha-nirīkṣaṇa-ādinā — by seeing the faces (when a man sees the beautiful face of a woman and the woman sees the strong build of the man’s body, they always desire one another); grāmya-karmaṇā — by material activities for sense gratification; eva — only; vismṛta — forgotten; kāla-avadhiḥ — the limited span of life (after which one’s evolution may be degrading or elevating).
TRANSLATION
In this way the descendants of the monkeys intermingle with each other, and they are generally known as śūdras. Without hesitating, they live and move freely, not knowing the goal of life. They are captivated simply by seeing the faces of one another, which remind them of sense gratification. They are always engaged in material activities, known as grāmya-karma, and they work hard for material benefit. Thus they forget completely that one day their small life spans will be finished and they will be degraded in the evolutionary cycle.
VERSE 5.14.32
kvacid drumavad aihikārtheṣu gṛheṣu raṁsyan yathā vānaraḥ suta-dāra-vatsalo vyavāya-kṣaṇaḥ.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; druma-vat — like trees (as monkeys jump from one tree to another, the conditioned soul transmigrates from one body to another); aihika-artheṣu — simply to bring about better worldly comforts; gṛheṣu — in houses (or bodies); raṁsyan — delighting (in one body after another, either in animal life, human life or demigod life); yathā — exactly as; vānaraḥ — the monkey; suta-dāra-vatsalaḥ — very affectionate to the children and wife; vyavāya-kṣaṇaḥ — whose leisure time is spent in sex pleasure.
TRANSLATION
Just as a monkey jumps from one tree to another, the conditioned soul jumps from one body to another. As the monkey is ultimately captured by the hunter and is unable to get out of captivity, the conditioned soul, being captivated by momentary sex pleasure, becomes attached to different types of bodies and is encaged in family life. Family life affords the conditioned soul a festival of momentary sex pleasure, and thus he is completely unable to get out of the material clutches.
VERSE 5.14.33
evam adhvany avarundhāno mṛtyu-gaja-bhayāt tamasi giri-kandara-prāye.
SYNONYMS
evam — in this way; adhvani — on the path of sense gratification; avarundhānaḥ — being confined, he forgets the real purpose of life; mṛtyu-gaja-bhayāt — out of fear of the elephant of death; tamasi — in the darkness; giri-kandara-prāye — similar to the dark caves in the mountains.
TRANSLATION
In this material world, when the conditioned soul forgets his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and does not care for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he simply engages in different types of mischievous and sinful activities. He is then subjected to the threefold miseries, and, out of fear of the elephant of death, he falls into the darkness found in a mountain cave.
VERSE 5.14.34
kvacic chīta-vātādy-aneka-daivika-bhautikātmīyānāṁ duḥkhānāṁ pratinivāraṇe ’kalpo duranta-viṣaya-viṣaṇṇa āste.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; śīta-vāta-ādi — such as extreme cold or wind; aneka — many; daivika — offered by the demigods or powers beyond our control; bhautika — offered by other living entities; ātmīyānām — offered by the conditioned material body and mind; duḥkhānām — the many miseries; pratinivāraṇe — in counteracting; akalpaḥ — being unable; duranta — insurmountable; viṣaya — from connection with sense gratification; viṣaṇṇaḥ — morose; āste — he remains.
TRANSLATION
The conditioned soul suffers many miserable bodily conditions, such as being affected by severe cold and strong winds. He also suffers due to the activities of other living beings and due to natural disturbances. When he is unable to counteract them and has to remain in a miserable condition, he naturally becomes very morose because he wants to enjoy material facilities.
VERSE 5.14.35
kvacin mitho vyavaharan yat kiñcid dhanam upayāti vitta-śāṭhyena.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes or somewhere; mithaḥ vyavaharan — transacting with each other; yat — whatever; kiñcit — little bit; dhanam — material benefit or wealth; upayāti — he obtains; vitta-śāṭhyena — by means of cheating someone of his wealth.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes conditioned souls exchange money, but in due course of time, enmity arises because of cheating. Although there may be a tiny profit, the conditioned souls cease to be friends and become enemies.
VERSE 5.14.36
kvacit kṣīṇa-dhanaḥ śayyāsanāśanādy-upabhoga-vihīno yāvad apratilabdha-manorathopagatādāne ’vasita-matis tatas tato ’vamānādīni janād abhilabhate.
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; kṣīṇa-dhanaḥ — not having sufficient money; śayyā-āsana-aśana-ādi — accommodations for sleeping, sitting or eating; upabhoga — of material enjoyment; vihīnaḥ — being bereft; yāvat — as long as; apratilabdha — not achieved; manoratha — by his desire; upagata — obtained; ādāne — in seizing by unfair means; avasita-matiḥ — whose mind is determined; tataḥ — because of that; tataḥ — from that; avamāna-ādīni — insults and punishment; janāt — from the people in general; abhilabhate — he gets.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, having no money, the conditioned soul does not get sufficient accommodations. Sometimes he doesn’t even have a place to sit, nor does he have the other necessities. In other words, he falls into scarcity, and at that time, when he is unable to secure the necessities by fair means, he decides to seize the property of others unfairly. When he cannot get the things he wants, he simply receives insults from others and thus becomes very morose.
VERSE 5.14.37
evaṁ vitta-vyatiṣaṅga-vivṛddha-vairānubandho ’pi pūrva-vāsanayā mitha udvahaty athāpavahati.
SYNONYMS
evam — in this way; vitta-vyatiṣaṅga — because of monetary transactions; vivṛddha — increased; vaira-anubandhaḥ — having relationships of enmity; api — although; pūrva-vāsanayā — by the fructifying results of previous impious activities; mithaḥ — with each other; udvahati — become united by means of the marriage of sons and daughters; atha — thereafter; apavahati — they give up the marriage or get a divorce.
TRANSLATION
Although people may be enemies, in order to fulfill their desires again and again, they sometimes get married. Unfortunately, these marriages do not last very long, and the people involved are separated again by divorce or other means.
VERSE 5.14.38
etasmin saṁsārādhvani nānā-kleśopasarga-bādhita āpanna-vipanno yatra yas tam u ha vāvetaras tatra visṛjya jātaṁ jātam upādāya śocan muhyan bibhyad-vivadan krandan saṁhṛṣyan gāyan nahyamānaḥ sādhu-varjito naivāvartate ’dyāpi yata ārabdha eṣa nara-loka-sārtho yam adhvanaḥ pāram upadiśanti.
SYNONYMS
etasmin — on this; saṁsāra — of miserable conditions; adhvani — path; nānā — various; kleśa — by miseries; upasarga — by the troubles of material existence; bādhitaḥ — disturbed; āpanna — sometimes having gained; vipannaḥ — sometimes having lost; yatra — in which; yaḥ — who; tam — him; u ha vāva — or; itaraḥ — someone else; tatra — thereupon; visṛjya — giving up; jātam jātam — newly born; upādāya — accepting; śocan — lamenting; muhyan — being illusioned; bibhyat — fearing; vivadan — sometimes exclaiming loudly; krandan — sometimes crying; saṁhṛṣyan — sometimes being pleased; gāyan — singing; nahyamānaḥ — being bound; sādhu-varjitaḥ — being away from saintly persons; na — not; eva — certainly; āvartate — achieves; adya api — even until now; yataḥ — from whom; ārabdhaḥ — commenced; eṣaḥ — this; nara-loka — of the material world; sa-arthaḥ — the self-interested living entities; yam — whom (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); adhvanaḥ — of the path of material existence; pāram — the other end; upadiśanti — saintly persons indicate.
TRANSLATION
The path of this material world is full of material miseries, and various troubles disturb the conditioned souls. Sometimes he loses, and sometimes he gains. In either case, the path is full of danger. Sometimes the conditioned soul is separated from his father by death or other circumstances. Leaving him aside he gradually becomes attached to others, such as his children. In this way, the conditioned soul is sometimes illusioned and afraid. Sometimes he cries loudly out of fear. Sometimes he is happy maintaining his family, and sometimes he is overjoyed and sings melodiously. In this way he becomes entangled and forgets his separation from the Supreme Personality of Godhead since time immemorial. Thus he traverses the dangerous path of material existence, and on this path he is not at all happy. Those who are self-realized simply take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in order to get out of this dangerous material existence. Without accepting the devotional path, one cannot get out of the clutches of material existence. The conclusion is that no one can be happy in material life. One must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
VERSE 5.14.39
yad idaṁ yogānuśāsanaṁ na vā etad avarundhate yan nyasta-daṇḍā munaya upaśama-śīlā uparatātmānaḥ samavagacchanti.
SYNONYMS
yat — which; idam — this ultimate abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yoga-anuśāsanam — only to be achieved by practicing devotional service; na — not; vā — either; etat — this path of liberation; avarundhate — obtain; yat — therefore; nyasta-daṇḍāḥ — persons who have given up envying others; munayaḥ — saintly persons; upaśama-śīlāḥ — who are now situated in a most peaceful existence; uparata-ātmānaḥ — who have control over the mind and senses; samavagacchanti — very easily obtain.
TRANSLATION
Saintly persons, who are friends to all living entities, have a peaceful consciousness. They have controlled their senses and minds, and they easily attain the path of liberation, the path back to Godhead. Being unfortunate and attached to the miserable material conditions, a materialistic person cannot associate with them.
VERSE 5.14.40
yad api dig-ibha-jayino yajvino ye vai rājarṣayaḥ kiṁ tu paraṁ mṛdhe śayīrann asyām eva mameyam iti kṛta-vairānubandhāyāṁ visṛjya svayam upasaṁhṛtāḥ.
SYNONYMS
yat api — although; dik-ibha-jayinaḥ — who are victorious in all directions; yajvinaḥ — expert in performing great sacrifices; ye — all of whom; vai — indeed; rāja-ṛṣayaḥ — very great saintly kings; kim tu — but; param — only this earth; mṛdhe — in battle; śayīran — lying down; asyām — on this (earth); eva — indeed; mama — mine; iyam — this; iti — considering in that way; kṛta — on which is created; vaira-anu-bandhāyām — a relationship of enmity with others; visṛjya — giving up; svayam — his own life; upasaṁhṛtāḥ — being killed.
TRANSLATION
There were many great saintly kings who were very expert in performing sacrificial rituals and very competent in conquering other kingdoms, yet despite their power they could not attain the loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is because those great kings could not even conquer the false consciousness of “I am this body, and this is my property.” Thus they simply created enmity with rival kings, fought with them and died without having discharged life’s real mission.
VERSE 5.14.41
karma-vallīm avalambya tata āpadaḥ kathañcin narakād vimuktaḥ punar apy evaṁ saṁsārādhvani vartamāno nara-loka-sārtham upayāti evam upari gato ’pi.
SYNONYMS
karma-vallīm — the creeper of fruitive activities; avalambya — taking shelter of; tataḥ — from that; āpadaḥ — dangerous or miserable condition; kathañcit — somehow or other; narakāt — from the hellish condition of life; vimuktaḥ — being freed; punaḥ api — again; evam — in this way; saṁsāra-adhvani — on the path of material existence; vartamānaḥ — existing; nara-loka-sa-artham — the field of self-interested material activities; upayāti — he enters; evam — thus; upari — above (in the higher planetary systems); gataḥ api — although promoted.
TRANSLATION
When the conditioned soul accepts the shelter of the creeper of fruitive activity, he may be elevated by his pious activities to higher planetary systems and thus gain liberation from hellish conditions, but unfortunately he cannot remain there. After reaping the results of his pious activities, he has to return to the lower planetary systems. In this way he perpetually goes up and comes down.
VERSE 5.14.42
tasyedam upagāyanti —
ārṣabhasyeha rājarṣer
manasāpi mahātmanaḥ
nānuvartmārhati nṛpo
makṣikeva garutmataḥ
SYNONYMS
tasya — of Jaḍa Bharata; idam — this glorification; upagāyanti — they sing; ārṣabhasya — of the son of Ṛṣabhadeva; iha — here; rāja-ṛṣeḥ — of the great saintly King; manasā api — even by the mind; mahā-ātmanaḥ — of the great personality Jaḍa Bharata; na — not; anuvartma arhati — able to follow the path; nṛpaḥ — any king; makṣikā — a fly; iva — like; garutmataḥ — of Garuḍa, the carrier of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Having summarized the teachings of Jaḍa Bharata, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King Parīkṣit, the path indicated by Jaḍa Bharata is like the path followed by Garuḍa, the carrier of the Lord, and ordinary kings are just like flies. Flies cannot follow the path of Garuḍa, and to date none of the great kings and victorious leaders could follow this path of devotional service, not even mentally.
VERSE 5.14.43
yo dustyajān dāra-sutān
suhṛd rājyaṁ hṛdi-spṛśaḥ
jahau yuvaiva malavad
uttamaśloka-lālasaḥ
SYNONYMS
yaḥ — the same Jaḍa Bharata who was formerly Mahārāja Bharata, the son of Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva; dustyajān — very difficult to give up; dāra-sutān — the wife and children or the most opulent family life; suhṛt — friends and well-wishers; rājyam — a kingdom that extended all over the world; hṛdi-spṛśaḥ — that which is situated within the core of one’s heart; jahau — he gave up; yuvā eva — even as a young man; mala-vat — like stool; uttama-śloka-lālasaḥ — who was so fond of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Uttamaśloka.
TRANSLATION
While in the prime of life, the great Mahārāja Bharata gave up everything because he was fond of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Uttamaśloka. He gave up his beautiful wife, nice children, great friends and an enormous empire. Although these things were very difficult to give up, Mahārāja Bharata was so exalted that he gave them up just as one gives up stool after evacuating. Such was the greatness of His Majesty.
VERSE 5.14.44
yo dustyajān kṣiti-suta-svajanārtha-dārān
prārthyāṁ śriyaṁ sura-varaiḥ sadayāvalokām
naicchan nṛpas tad-ucitaṁ mahatāṁ madhudviṭ-
sevānurakta-manasām abhavo ’pi phalguḥ
SYNONYMS
yaḥ — who; dustyajān — very difficult to give up; kṣiti — the earth; suta — children; sva-jana-artha-dārān — relatives, riches and a beautiful wife; prārthyām — desirable; śriyam — the goddess of fortune; sura-varaiḥ — by the best of the demigods; sa-daya-avalokām — whose merciful glance; na — not; aicchat — desired; nṛpaḥ — the King; tat-ucitam — this is quite befitting him; mahatām — of great personalities (mahātmās); madhu-dviṭ — of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who killed the demon Madhu; sevā-anurakta — attracted by the loving service; manasām — of those whose minds; abhavaḥ api — even the position of liberation; phalguḥ — insignificant.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the activities of Bharata Mahārāja are wonderful. He gave up everything difficult for others to give up. He gave up his kingdom, his wife and his family. His opulence was so great that even the demigods envied it, yet he gave it up. It was quite befitting a great personality like him to be a great devotee. He could renounce everything because he was so attracted to the beauty, opulence, reputation, knowledge, strength and renunciation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that one can give up all desirable things for His sake. Indeed, even liberation is considered insignificant for those whose minds are attracted to the loving service of the Lord.
VERSE 5.14.45
yajñāya dharma-pataye vidhi-naipuṇāya
yogāya sāṅkhya-śirase prakṛtīśvarāya
nārāyaṇāya haraye nama ity udāraṁ
hāsyan mṛgatvam api yaḥ samudājahāra
SYNONYMS
yajñāya — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who enjoys the results of all great sacrifices; dharma-pataye — unto the master or propounder of religious principles; vidhi-naipuṇāya — who gives the devotee the intelligence to follow the regulative principles expertly; yogāya — the personification of mystic yoga; sāṅkhya-śirase — who taught the Sāṅkhya philosophy or who actually gives knowledge of Sāṅkhya to the people of the world; prakṛti-īśvarāya — the supreme controller of this cosmic manifestation; nārāyaṇāya — the resting place of the innumerable living entities (nara means the living entities, and ayana means the shelter); haraye — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Hari; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; iti — thus; udāram — very loudly; hāsyan — smiling; mṛgatvam api — although in the body of a deer; yaḥ — who; samudājahāra — chanted.
TRANSLATION
Even though in the body of a deer, Mahārāja Bharata did not forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore when he was giving up the body of a deer, he loudly uttered the following prayer: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sacrifice personified. He gives the results of ritualistic activity. He is the protector of religious systems, the personification of mystic yoga, the source of all knowledge, the controller of the entire creation, and the Supersoul in every living entity. He is beautiful and attractive. I am quitting this body offering obeisances unto Him and hoping that I may perpetually engage in His transcendental loving service.” Uttering this, Mahārāja Bharata left his body.
VERSE 5.14.46
ya idaṁ bhāgavata-sabhājitāvadāta-guṇa-karmaṇo rājarṣer bharatasyānucaritaṁ svasty-ayanam āyuṣyaṁ dhanyaṁ yaśasyaṁ svargyāpavargyaṁ vānuśṛṇoty ākhyāsyaty abhinandati ca sarvā evāśiṣa ātmana āśāste na kāñcana parata iti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ — anyone who; idam — this; bhāgavata — by exalted devotees; sabhājita — greatly worshiped; avadāta — pure; guṇa — whose qualities; karmaṇaḥ — and activities; rāja-ṛṣeḥ — of the great saintly King; bharatasya — of Bharata Mahārāja; anucaritam — the narration; svasti-ayanam — the abode of auspiciousness; āyuṣyam — which increases one’s duration of life; dhanyam — increases one’s fortune; yaśasyam — bestows reputation; svargya — gives promotion to the higher planetary systems (the goal of the karmīs); apavargyam — gives liberation from this material world and enables one to merge into the Supreme (the goal of the jñānīs); vā — or; anuśṛṇoti — always hears, following the path of devotional service; ākhyāsyati — describes for the benefit of others; abhinandati — glorifies the characteristics of devotees and the Supreme Lord; ca — and; sarvāḥ — all; eva — certainly; āśiṣaḥ — blessings; ātmanaḥ — for himself; āśāste — he achieves; na — not; kāñcana — anything; parataḥ — from anyone else; iti — thus.
TRANSLATION
Devotees interested in hearing and chanting [śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam] regularly discuss the pure characteristics of Bharata Mahārāja and praise his activities. If one submissively hears and chants about the all-auspicious Mahārāja Bharata, one’s life span and material opulences certainly increase. One can become very famous and easily attain promotion to the heavenly planets, or attain liberation by merging into the existence of the Lord. Whatever one desires can be attained simply by hearing, chanting and glorifying the activities of Mahārāja Bharata. In this way, one can fulfill all his material and spiritual desires. One does not have to ask anyone else for these things, for simply by studying the life of Mahārāja Bharata, one can attain all desirable things.