SB 7.13.33

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Seventh Canto - Chapter 13: The Behavior of a Perfect Person

SB 7.13.32 - SB 7.13.34

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT 33

rājataś caurataḥ śatroḥ

sva-janāt paśu-pakṣitaḥ

arthibhyaḥ kālataḥ svasmān

nityaṁ prāṇārthavad bhayam

SYNONYMS

rājataḥ — from the government; caurataḥ — from thieves and rogues; śatroḥ — from enemies; sva-janāt — from relatives; paśu-pakṣitaḥ — from animals and birds; arthibhyaḥ — from beggars and persons seeking charity; kālataḥ — from the time factor; svasmāt — as well as from one's self; nityam — always; prāṇa-artha-vat — for one who has life or money; bhayam — fear.

TRANSLATION

Those who are considered materially powerful and rich are always full of anxieties because of governmental laws, thieves and rogues, enemies, family members, animals, birds, persons seeking charity, the inevitable time factor and even their own selves. Thus they are invariably afraid.

PURPORT

The word svasmāt means "from one's self." Because of attachment for money, the richest person is even afraid of himself. He fears that he may have locked his money in an unsafe manner or might have committed some mistake. Aside from the government and its income tax and aside from thieves, even a rich man's own relatives are always thinking of how to take advantage of him and take away his money. Sometimes these relatives are described as sva janaka-dasyu, which means "rogues and thieves in the guise of relatives." Therefore, there is no need to accumulate wealth or unnecessarily endeavor for more and more money. The real business of life is to ask "Who am I?" and to understand one's self. One should understand the position of the living entity in this material world and understand how to return home, back to Godhead.

SB 7.13.32 - SB 7.13.34