Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 45
Dhruva-vaṁśa Continuation: Utkala’s Renunciation, Aṅga’s Sacrifice, and the Birth of Vena
Prelude to Pṛthu
कस्तं प्रजापदेशं वै मोहबन्धनमात्मन: । पण्डितो बहु मन्येत यदर्था: क्लेशदा गृहा: ॥ ४५ ॥
kas taṁ prajāpadeśaṁ vai moha-bandhanam ātmanaḥ paṇḍito bahu manyeta yad-arthāḥ kleśadā gṛhāḥ
Wer, wenn er besonnen und klug ist, würde einen so wertlosen Sohn begehren? Ein solcher Sohn ist nur ein Band der Verblendung für die Seele und macht das Zuhause unerquicklich.
FAQs
This verse warns that when household life is pursued mainly for progeny and worldly expansion, it can become moha-bandhana—bondage in illusion—bringing kleśa (distress) rather than liberation.
He highlights that merely justifying material entanglement in the name of children or lineage can bind the soul; wisdom is to see through the pretext and seek spiritual freedom through devotion.
Treat family duties as service to God rather than ego-driven expansion; reduce possessiveness, simplify life, and prioritize bhakti—so responsibilities don’t become bondage.