Shloka 13
The Deliverance of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva
Yamala-Arjuna Līlā Prelude and Culmination
असत: श्रीमदान्धस्य दारिद्रयं परमञ्जनम् । आत्मौपम्येन भूतानि दरिद्र: परमीक्षते ॥ १३ ॥
asataḥ śrī-madāndhasya dāridryaṁ param añjanam ātmaupamyena bhūtāni daridraḥ param īkṣate
Gottlose Toren, vom Stolz auf Reichtum geblendet, sehen die Dinge nicht, wie sie sind; darum ist es die höchste Augensalbe, sie zur Armut zurückzuführen. Ein Armer, der den Schmerz der Armut kennt, betrachtet die Wesen im Vergleich mit sich selbst und will nicht, dass andere in einem leidvollen Zustand wie dem seinen sind.
Even today, if a man who was formerly poverty-stricken gets money, he is inclined to utilize his money to perform many philanthropic activities, like opening schools for uneducated men and hospitals for the diseased. In this connection there is an instructive story called punar mūṣiko bhava, “Again Become a Mouse.” A mouse was very much harassed by a cat, and therefore the mouse approached a saintly person to request to become a cat. When the mouse became a cat, he was harassed by a dog, and then when he became a dog, he was harassed by a tiger. But when he became a tiger, he stared at the saintly person, and when the saintly person asked him, “What do you want?” the tiger said, “I want to eat you.” Then the saintly person cursed him, saying, “May you again become a mouse.” A similar thing is going on all over the universe. One is going up and down, sometimes becoming a mouse, sometimes a tiger, and so on. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said:
FAQs
This verse says that pride born of opulence blinds a person, and that poverty can act like a cleansing eye-salve, restoring clear vision and humility.
In this episode, Narada’s intervention is meant to cure their intoxication with wealth and beauty, so they may regain spiritual clarity and ultimately receive Krishna’s mercy.
Practice humility and empathy by consciously seeing others “as yourself,” and treat comfort or hardship as an opportunity to reduce ego and grow in compassion.