Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 22
Vṛtrāsura Rebukes Indra; Heroic Combat and the Asura’s Pure Devotional Prayers
पुंसां किलैकान्तधियां स्वकानां या: सम्पदो दिवि भूमौ रसायाम् । न राति यद्द्वेष उद्वेग आधि- र्मद: कलिर्व्यसनं सम्प्रयास: ॥ २२ ॥
puṁsāṁ kilaikānta-dhiyāṁ svakānāṁ yāḥ sampado divi bhūmau rasāyām na rāti yad dveṣa udvega ādhir madaḥ kalir vyasanaṁ samprayāsaḥ
Those who, with single-minded devotion, surrender to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord and ever remember those feet are accepted by Him as His own servants. Yet the Lord does not grant such devotees the dazzling opulences of the higher, middle, or lower worlds, for material prosperity breeds enmity, anxiety, inner turmoil, pride, strife, calamity, and exhausting endeavor—and when it is lost, one suffers great sorrow.
In Bhagavad-gītā (4.11) the Lord says:
FAQs
This verse says that worldly and heavenly opulences are not a true blessing for one-pointed devotees, because such prosperity tends to produce envy, agitation, anxiety, pride, quarrel, misfortune, and exhausting struggle.
While facing Indra in battle, Vṛtrāsura reveals the mood of a pure devotee: he is not tempted by celestial gains or power, and he highlights how material ‘success’ often entangles the mind in conflict and distress.
Use success and resources without obsession—reduce comparison and rivalry, keep spiritual priorities first, and notice how envy, anxiety, and constant striving decrease when devotion becomes the central aim.