Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 34
The Prayers of the Personified Vedas (Śruti-stuti) and the Indescribable Absolute
स्वजनसुतात्मदारधनधामधरासुरथै- स्त्वयि सति किं नृणां श्रयत आत्मनि सर्वरसे । इति सदजानतां मिथुनतो रतये चरतां सुखयति को न्विह स्वविहते स्वनिरस्तभगे ॥ ३४ ॥
svajana-sutātma-dāra-dhana-dhāma-dharāsu-rathais tvayi sati kiṁ nṛṇām śrayata ātmani sarva-rase iti sad ajānatāṁ mithunato rataye caratāṁ sukhayati ko nv iha sva-vihate sva-nirasta-bhage
To those persons who take shelter of You, You reveal Yourself as the Supersoul, the embodiment of all transcendental pleasure. What further use have such devotees for their servants, children or bodies, their wives, money or houses, their land, good health or conveyances? And for those who fail to appreciate the truth about You and go on pursuing the pleasures of sex, what could there be in this entire world — a place inherently doomed to destruction and devoid of significance — that could give them real happiness?
Devotional service to Lord Viṣṇu is considered pure when one’s sole desire is to please the Lord. Situated in that perfect consciousness, a Vaiṣṇava has no further interest in wordly gains and is thus excused from any obligation to perform ritual sacrifices and follow austere practices of yoga. As the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.2.12) states:
FAQs
This verse says that when the Lord is present as the Self and the essence of all bliss, reliance on relatives, children, body, spouse, wealth, and other supports is secondary; without knowing the Lord within, people chase pleasure but remain unsatisfied.
They point out that ignorance of the indwelling Lord leads people to seek happiness mainly through dualistic, sense-based enjoyment, which cannot fulfill the soul and instead becomes self-defeating.
Keep duties to family and society, but shift your primary shelter to devotion—remembering the Lord within, regulating sense pleasure, and grounding decisions in spiritual purpose rather than temporary security.