Shloka 10
Prahlāda Instructs the Sons of Demons: Begin Bhakti from Childhood; Household Attachment as Bondage; Nārāyaṇa as the All-Pervading Supersoul
को न्वर्थतृष्णां विसृजेत्प्राणेभ्योऽपि य ईप्सित: । यं क्रीणात्यसुभि: प्रेष्ठैस्तस्कर: सेवको वणिक् ॥ १० ॥
ko nv artha-tṛṣṇāṁ visṛjet prāṇebhyo ’pi ya īpsitaḥ yaṁ krīṇāty asubhiḥ preṣṭhais taskaraḥ sevako vaṇik
Qui renoncerait à la soif de richesse, désirée plus que la vie même ? Voleurs, soldats/serviteurs et marchands la recherchent en risquant leur souffle le plus cher.
How money can be dearer than life is indicated in this verse. Thieves may enter the house of a rich man to steal money at the risk of their lives. Because of trespassing, they may be killed by guns or attacked by watchdogs, but still they try to commit burglary. Why do they risk their lives? Only to get some money. Similarly, a professional soldier is recruited into the army, and he accepts such service, with the risk of dying on the battlefield, only for the sake of money. In the same way, merchants go from one country to another on boats at the risk of their lives, or they dive into the water of the sea to collect pearls and valuable gems. Thus it is practically proved — and everyone will admit — that money is sweeter than honey. One may risk everything to acquire money, and this is especially true of rich men who are too attached to household life. Formerly, of course, the members of the higher castes — the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas (everyone but the śūdras ) — were trained in the gurukula to adhere to a life of renunciation and sense control by practicing brahmacarya and mystic yoga. Then they were allowed to enter household life. There have consequently been many instances in which great kings and emperors have given up household life. Although they were extremely opulent and were the masters of kingdoms, they could give up all their possessions because they were trained early as brahmacārīs. Prahlāda Mahārāja’s advice is therefore very appropriate:
FAQs
This verse says the thirst for wealth can become so intense that people value it even above their own life, risking their very breath to obtain it.
Prahlada was instructing his classmates about material attachment, showing how obsession with artha drives even thieves, servants, and merchants to endanger themselves.
Use it as a check on priorities: avoid making money the ultimate goal, and practice detachment by aligning work and resources with dharma and devotion rather than obsessive accumulation.