Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 27
The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa (Avanti-brāhmaṇa-gītā): Mind as the Root of Suffering and Equanimity Amid Insult
किं धनैर्धनदैर्वा किं कामैर्वा कामदैरुत । मृत्युना ग्रस्यमानस्य कर्मभिर्वोत जन्मदै: ॥ २७ ॥
kiṁ dhanair dhana-dair vā kiṁ kāmair vā kāma-dair uta mṛtyunā grasyamānasya karmabhir vota janma-daiḥ
For one who is in the grips of death, what is the use of wealth or those who offer it, sense gratification or those who offer it, or, for that matter, any type of fruitive activity, which simply causes one to again take birth in the material world?
FAQs
This verse says that wealth, pleasure, and even those who provide them are ultimately useless when death is approaching; only spiritual realization beyond karma and rebirth is truly beneficial.
Because karmic activity aimed at material results cannot stop death and typically binds the soul to repeated birth and death; the teaching urges turning from fruitive goals toward liberation and devotion.
Use it to prioritize lasting spiritual practice over endless accumulation and entertainment—reduce dependency on external “providers” of happiness and invest time in bhakti, self-discipline, and remembrance of the Lord.