Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कामो मन्युर्मदो लोभ: शोकमोहभयादय: । कर्मबन्धश्च यन्मूल: स्वीकुर्यात्को नु तद् बुध: ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

kāmo manyur mado lobhaḥ śoka-moha-bhayādayaḥ karma-bandhaś ca yan-mūlaḥ svīkuryāt ko nu tad budhaḥ

Translation

Lust, anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion, fear, and the rest all arise from the mind; from them comes bondage to karma. What wise person, then, would place faith in the mind?

Synonyms

• kāmaḥ: desire
• kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• manyuḥ: anger
• manyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• madaḥ: pride/intoxication
• madaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• lobhaḥ: greed
• lobhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• śoka-moha-bhaya-ādayaḥ: grief, delusion, fear, etc.
• śoka-moha-bhaya-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक) + moha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); dvandva list: grief, delusion, fear, etc.

• karma-bandhaḥ: bondage of action
• karma-bandhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + bandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: 'bondage of karma'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• yan-mūlaḥ: whose root is that
• yan-mūlaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: 'having which as root'

• svīkuryāt: should accept
• svīkuryāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: svi+kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); interrogative pronoun

• nu: indeed/then
• nu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative/emphatic particle (निपात)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• budhaḥ: a wise person
• budhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Purport

The mind is the original cause of material bondage. It is followed by many enemies, such as anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion and fear. The best way to control the mind is to engage it always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness ( sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ ). Since the followers of the mind bring about material bondage, we should be very careful not to trust the mind.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣabhadeva

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about lust, anger, and greed?

In this verse, Ṛṣabhadeva lists lust, anger, pride, greed (and their offshoots like fear and illusion) as roots of karma-bondage—things a wise person does not accept as beneficial.

Why does Ṛṣabhadeva warn against these emotions in Canto 5 Chapter 6?

He is instructing his sons on renunciation and spiritual intelligence, showing that indulgence in these passions binds the soul to repeated action and reaction (karma) rather than liberation.

Practical application of this teaching in modern life?

Notice when desire turns into compulsion and triggers anger, pride, or fear; deliberately choose restraint, truthful living, and devotional remembrance so actions don’t create new karmic entanglement.