Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 19
Nimi Questions the Yogendras: Māyā, Cosmic Dissolution, Guru-Śaraṇāgati, Bhakti, and Deity Worship
नित्यार्तिदेन वित्तेन दुर्लभेनात्ममृत्युना । गृहापत्याप्तपशुभि: का प्रीति: साधितैश्चलै: ॥ १९ ॥
nityārtidena vittena durlabhenātma-mṛtyunā gṛhāpatyāpta-paśubhiḥ kā prītiḥ sādhitaiś calaiḥ
Wealth is a perpetual source of distress, it is most difficult to acquire, and it is virtual death for the soul. What satisfaction does one actually gain from his wealth? Similarly, how can one gain ultimate or permanent happiness from one’s so-called home, children, relatives and domestic animals, which are all maintained by one’s hard-earned money?
FAQs
This verse says wealth often brings constant anxiety, is hard to obtain, consumes one’s lifespan, and is unstable—so building happiness on it (and on what it buys) cannot give lasting satisfaction.
King Yadu approached the Avadhūta seeking spiritual instruction; the Avadhūta teaches renunciation by exposing the insecurity of worldly happiness rooted in money and possessions.
Earn honestly and responsibly, but don’t measure success by accumulation; reduce unnecessary desires, simplify possessions, and invest time in sādhana—hearing and chanting about Bhagavān—for lasting peace.