Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 15
Nābhāga’s Inheritance, Śiva’s Verdict, and the Rise of Ambarīṣa—Prelude to Durvāsā’s Offense
श्रीशुक उवाच अम्बरीषो महाभाग: सप्तद्वीपवतीं महीम् । अव्ययां च श्रियं लब्ध्वा विभवं चातुलं भुवि ॥ १५ ॥ मेनेऽतिदुर्लभं पुंसां सर्वं तत् स्वप्नसंस्तुतम् । विद्वान् विभवनिर्वाणं तमो विशति यत् पुमान् ॥ १६ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca ambarīṣo mahā-bhāgaḥ sapta-dvīpavatīṁ mahīm avyayāṁ ca śriyaṁ labdhvā vibhavaṁ cātulaṁ bhuvi
Śukadeva sagte: Der überaus glückliche Mahārāja Ambarīṣa erlangte die Herrschaft über die Erde mit ihren sieben Inseln sowie unerschöpflichen, grenzenlosen Reichtum. Doch da er wusste, dass all dies materiell ist, einem Traum gleich und schließlich vergeht, maß er ihm keinen Wert bei; er erkannte, dass ein Nichtbhakta, der solche Opulenz erreicht, nur tiefer in die Dunkelheit der materiellen Natur sinkt.
For a devotee material opulence is insignificant, whereas for a nondevotee material opulence is the cause of increasing bondage, for a devotee knows that anything material is temporary, whereas a nondevotee regards the temporary so-called happiness as everything and forgets the path of self-realization. Thus for the nondevotee material opulence is a disqualification for spiritual advancement.
FAQs
This verse states that Mahārāja Ambarīṣa attained vast dominion and inexhaustible prosperity, illustrating that great material resources can come to a devotee—yet in the narrative they are not the devotee’s ultimate aim.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī is speaking, narrating the life and glories of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa to King Parīkṣit.
See success as a responsibility and a tool for dharma and devotion—use resources in service, remain humble, and remember that prosperity is not the final goal.