Shloka 38
Lakṣmī’s Emergence, Dhanvantari, and the Advent of Mohinī-mūrti
मिथ: कलिरभूत्तेषां तदर्थे तर्षचेतसाम् । अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वं न त्वं न त्वमिति प्रभो ॥ ३८ ॥
mithaḥ kalir abhūt teṣāṁ tad-arthe tarṣa-cetasām ahaṁ pūrvam ahaṁ pūrvaṁ na tvaṁ na tvam iti prabho
O King, among the demons, whose hearts thirsted for the amṛta, a quarrel arose over it: “Me first, me first! Not you, not you!”
This is the symptom of demons. The first concern of a nondevotee is how to enjoy his personal sense gratification at once, whereas the devotee’s first concern is to satisfy the Lord. This is the distinction between the nondevotee and the devotee. In this material world, since most people are nondevotees, they regularly compete, fight, disagree and war among themselves, for everyone wants to enjoy and satisfy his own senses. Therefore, unless such demons become Kṛṣṇa conscious and are trained to satisfy the senses of the Lord, there can be no question of peace in human society or any society, even that of the demigods. The demigods and devotees, however, always surrender to the lotus feet of the Lord, and thus the Lord is always anxious to satisfy their ambitions. While the demons fight to satisfy their own senses, devotees engage in devotional service to satisfy the senses of the Lord. The members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must be alert in regard to this point, and then their preaching of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will be successful.
FAQs
This verse shows that when the mind is driven by craving for a coveted gain, people quickly fall into mutual conflict—each demanding priority and rejecting others.
Because the participants became “tarṣa-cetasām”—thirsty at heart for the sought-after prize—so rivalry erupted as each insisted, “I first,” and denied the others.
Recognize how desire for status, credit, or reward fuels conflict; reduce “I first” mentality through humility, sharing, and remembering the higher purpose behind one’s work.