Shloka 9
यस्मान्न: सम्पदो राज्यं दारा: प्राणा: कुलं प्रजा: । आसन्सपत्नविजयो लोकाश्च यदनुग्रहात् ॥ ९ ॥
yasmān naḥ sampado rājyaṁ dārāḥ prāṇāḥ kulaṁ prajāḥ āsan sapatna-vijayo lokāś ca yad-anugrahāt
Only by His causeless mercy have we attained royal opulence, virtuous wives, life itself, our lineage and subjects, victory over rivals, and a place in higher worlds.
Material prosperity consists of a good wife, good home, sufficient land, good children, aristocratic family relations, victory over competitors and, by pious work, attainment of accommodations in the higher celestial planets for better facilities of material amenities. These facilities are earned not only by one’s hard manual labor or by unfair means, but by the mercy of the Supreme Lord. Prosperity earned by one’s personal endeavor also depends on the mercy of the Lord. Personal labor must be there in addition to the Lord’s benediction, but without the Lord’s benediction no one is successful simply by personal labor. The modernized man of Kali-yuga believes in personal endeavor and denies the benediction of the Supreme Lord. Even a great sannyāsī of India delivered speeches in Chicago protesting the benedictions of the Supreme Lord. But as far as Vedic śāstras are concerned, as we find in the pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the ultimate sanction for all success rests in the hands of the Supreme Lord. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira admits this truth in his personal success, and it behooves one to follow in the footsteps of a great king and devotee of the Lord to make life a full success. If one could achieve success without the sanction of the Lord then no medical practitioner would fail to cure a patient. Despite the most advanced treatment of a suffering patient by the most up-to-date medical practitioner, there is death, and even in the most hopeless case, without medical treatment, a patient is cured astonishingly. Therefore the conclusion is that God’s sanction is the immediate cause for all happenings, good or bad. Any successful man should feel grateful to the Lord for all he has achieved.
FAQs
This verse states that all the Pandavas’ prosperity—kingdom, family, life, victory, and honor—came specifically by Sri Krishna’s favor, implying that success is ultimately dependent on the Lord’s grace.
Arjuna says this while sensing that Sri Krishna has departed from the world; remembering that their strength and fortune were sustained by Krishna, he recognizes the impending loss felt by the Pandavas and the world.
Cultivate gratitude and humility: see achievements as supported by higher providence, act responsibly, and strengthen devotion through prayer, remembrance, and service rather than relying only on ego or circumstance.