Shloka 54
द्रव्यनाशे तथोत्पत्तौ पालने च तथा नृणाम् भवन्त्य् अनेकदुःखानि तथैवेष्टविपत्तिषु
dravyanāśe tathotpattau pālane ca tathā nṛṇām bhavanty anekaduḥkhāni tathaiveṣṭavipattiṣu
In the loss of possessions, in their acquisition, and even in the effort of preserving them, human beings meet with countless sorrows; and likewise, when what they hold dear comes to ruin, suffering inevitably follows.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Pervasiveness of duḥkha in worldly striving: loss, gain, protection of wealth, and the ruin of cherished things.
Teaching: Ethical
Quality: compassionate
Concept: Worldly possessions generate sorrow in every phase—acquisition, loss, and even preservation—so security cannot be founded on external goods.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice non-possessiveness: simplify needs, give regularly (dāna), and anchor well-being in devotion rather than accumulation.
Vishishtadvaita: Proper use of wealth is as service to the Lord and His beings; attachment (not the object itself) binds the jīva, so wealth is to be held as the Lord’s property (śeṣatva-bhāva).
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
The verse frames wealth as a source of suffering in all its phases—gain, loss, and protection—supporting a dharmic call toward restraint and detachment.
Parāśara points to anxiety and grief arising from attachment: people suffer not only when possessions are lost, but also while acquiring and safeguarding them, and when cherished aims or loved things meet misfortune.
By highlighting the instability of worldly supports, the teaching implicitly redirects the seeker toward the enduring refuge—Vishnu as the supreme ground beyond changing fortune.