Shloka 84
सुतात्मजैस् तत्तनयैश् च भूयो भूयश् च तेषां स्वपरिग्रहेण विस्तारम् एष्यत्य् अतिदुःखहेतुः परिग्रहो वै ममतानिधानम्
sutātmajais tattanayaiś ca bhūyo bhūyaś ca teṣāṃ svaparigraheṇa vistāram eṣyaty atiduḥkhahetuḥ parigraho vai mamatānidhānam
Through sons and grandsons—and again through their descendants—one’s own sense of possession keeps spreading further and further. This expansion becomes a cause of exceedingly great sorrow, for grasping accumulation is truly the storehouse of “mine-ness.”
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Parigraha as the ‘storehouse’ of mamatā and a generator of great sorrow
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: revealing
Concept: Possessiveness expands through descendants and becomes a deep reservoir of ‘mine-ness,’ which in turn is a major cause of suffering.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Practice aparigraha: set limits on accumulation, cultivate giving, and consciously reframe relationships as stewardship rather than ownership.
Vishishtadvaita: ‘Mine-ness’ misconstrues the jīva’s true status as śeṣa (dependent) of the Lord; right relation is to see persons and goods as belonging to Nārāyaṇa.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
This verse frames parigraha as the mechanism by which ‘mine-ness’ multiplies across generations, making it a direct cause of intensified sorrow and continued bondage.
He explains that attachment does not remain limited to one person; with sons, grandsons, and further descendants, the sense of ownership expands repeatedly, enlarging the field of anxieties and grief.
By diagnosing mamatā and parigraha as bondage, the teaching implicitly points toward aligning life with Vishnu’s higher order—cultivating detachment and devotion so the self is oriented to the Supreme rather than to expanding possessions.