Shloka 16
Ṛṣabhadeva Instructs His Sons: Tapasya, Mahātmā-Sevā, and Cutting the Heart-Knot
लोक: स्वयं श्रेयसि नष्टदृष्टि- र्योऽर्थान् समीहेत निकामकाम: । अन्योन्यवैर: सुखलेशहेतो- रनन्तदु:खं च न वेद मूढ: ॥ १६ ॥
lokaḥ svayaṁ śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭir yo ’rthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ anyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leśa-hetor ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ
بسبب الجهل يضلّ الماديّ عن رؤية طريق الخير الحقيقي لنفسه. تقيده الشهوات فيسعى وراء لذّات الحواس وحدها؛ ولأجل متعة عابرة يُنشئ مجتمعًا من الحسد والعداوة، فيغوص في بحرٍ لا نهاية له من المعاناة، وهو لا يدري بذلك.
The word naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ, meaning “one who has no eyes to see the future,” is very significant in this verse. Life goes on from one body to another, and the activities performed in this life are enjoyed or suffered in the next life, if not later in this life. One who is unintelligent, who has no eyes to see the future, simply creates enmity and fights with others for sense gratification. As a result, one suffers in the next life, but due to being like a blind man, he continues to act in such a way that he suffers unlimitedly. Such a person is a mūḍha, one who simply wastes his time and does not understand the Lord’s devotional service. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.25) :
FAQs
This verse says that when one loses sight of true welfare (śreyas), insatiable desire drives one to pursue worldly gains, creating conflict and resulting in endless suffering rather than lasting happiness.
While instructing His sons on real self-interest, Ṛṣabhadeva points out that seeking even a small amount of sense pleasure often produces rivalry and hatred, which multiplies misery and blocks spiritual progress.
Reduce choices driven purely by craving, avoid comparison and competition that breed resentment, and re-center daily goals on śreyas—devotional practice, character, and service—rather than fleeting pleasure.