Shloka 28
Pṛthu Mahārāja’s Renunciation, Austerities, Departure, and the Glory of Hearing His History
स वञ्चितो बतात्मध्रुक् कृच्छ्रेण महता भुवि । लब्ध्वापवर्ग्यं मानुष्यं विषयेषु विषज्जते ॥ २८ ॥
sa vañcito batātma-dhruk kṛcchreṇa mahatā bhuvi labdhvāpavargyaṁ mānuṣyaṁ viṣayeṣu viṣajjate
من نال الجسد الإنساني—وهو فرصة للانعتاق—ثم يكدّ كدًّا شديدًا في أعمالٍ طامعة بالثمرات ويغرق في متع الحواس، فهو مُخدوعٌ وعدوٌّ لنفسه، كأنه يحسد ذاته ويظلمها.
In this material world people are engaged in different activities simply to achieve a little success in sense gratification. The karmīs are engaged in performing very difficult activities, and thus they open gigantic factories, build huge cities, make big scientific discoveries, etc. In other words, they are engaged in performing very costly sacrifices in order to be promoted to the higher planetary systems. Similarly, yogīs are engaged in achieving a similar goal by accepting the tedious practices of mystic yoga. Jñānīs are engaged in philosophical speculation in order to gain release from the clutches of material nature. In these ways everyone is engaged in performing very difficult tasks simply for the gratification of the senses. All of these are considered to be engaged in sense gratificatory activities (or viṣaya ) because they all demand some facility for material existence. Actually the results of such activities are temporary. As Kṛṣṇa Himself proclaims in Bhagavad-gītā (7.23) , antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām: “The fruits [of those who worship the demigods] are limited and temporary.” Thus the fruits of the activities of the yogīs, karmīs and jñānīs are ephemeral. Moreover, Kṛṣṇa says, tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām: “They are simply meant for men of small intelligence.” The word viṣaya denotes sense gratification. The karmīs flatly state that they want sense gratification. The yogīs also want sense gratification, but they want it to a higher degree. It is their desire to show some miraculous results through the practice of yoga. Thus they strive very hard to achieve success in becoming smaller than the smallest or greater than the greatest, or in creating a planet like earth or, as scientists, by inventing so many wonderful machines. Similarly, the jñānīs are also engaged in sense gratification, for they are simply interested in becoming one with the Supreme. Thus the aim of all these activities is sense gratification to a higher or a lower degree. The bhaktas, however, are not interested in sense gratificatory practices; they are simply satisfied to get an opportunity to serve the Lord. Although they are satisfied in any condition, there is nothing they cannot obtain, because they are purely engaged in the service of the Lord.
FAQs
This verse states that human life is difficult to attain and is meant for apavarga—liberation—not for sinking into sense enjoyment.
One who wastes the rare human birth by becoming attached to sense objects is termed ātma-dhruk, because such attachment harms the soul’s real interest.
Treat human life as a chance for spiritual progress: reduce compulsive sense indulgence, cultivate devotion and self-discipline, and orient daily choices toward liberation and service to God.