Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 23
Nārada and Aṅgirā Instruct Citraketu: Impermanence, Ātma-Tattva, and Mantra-Upadeśa
अधुना पुत्रिणां तापो भवतैवानुभूयते । एवं दारा गृहा रायो विविधैश्वर्यसम्पद: ॥ २१ ॥ शब्दादयश्च विषयाश्चला राज्यविभूतय: । मही राज्यं बलं कोषो भृत्यामात्यसुहृज्जना: ॥ २२ ॥ सर्वेऽपि शूरसेनेमे शोकमोहभयार्तिदा: । गन्धर्वनगरप्रख्या: स्वप्नमायामनोरथा: ॥ २३ ॥
adhunā putriṇāṁ tāpo bhavataivānubhūyate evaṁ dārā gṛhā rāyo vividhaiśvarya-sampadaḥ
My dear King, now you are actually experiencing the misery of a person who has sons and daughters. O King, owner of the state of Śūrasena, one’s wife, his house, the opulence of his kingdom, and his various other opulences and objects of sense perception are all the same in that they are temporary. One’s kingdom, military power, treasury, servants, ministers, friends and relatives are all causes of fear, illusion, lamentation and distress. They are like a gandharva-nagara, a nonexistent palace that one imagines to exist in the forest. Because they are impermanent, they are no better than illusions, dreams and mental concoctions.
This verse describes the entanglement of material existence. In material existence, the living entity possesses many things — the material body, children, wife and so on ( dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ). One may think that these will give him protection, but that is impossible. In spite of all these possessions, the spirit soul has to give up his present situation and accept another. The next situation may be unfavorable, but even if it is favorable, one must give it up and again accept another body. In this way, one’s tribulation in material existence continues. A sane man should be perfectly aware that these things will never be able to give him happiness. One must be situated in his spiritual identity and eternally serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a devotee. Aṅgirā Ṛṣi and Nārada Muni gave this instruction to Mahārāja Citraketu.
FAQs
This verse states that the pain felt through attachment to children is a direct experience of how material relationships—children, spouse, home, and wealth—can become sources of suffering when taken as ultimate shelter.
Citraketu was overwhelmed by grief over his son; Nārada used the moment to awaken him to the temporary nature of worldly bonds and redirect him toward spiritual shelter.
Perform family responsibilities with care, but shift dependence from possessions and relationships to devotion and remembrance of the Lord, recognizing that worldly supports are temporary.