Shloka 49
Viśvarūpa’s Death, Vṛtrāsura’s Manifestation, and the Devas’ Surrender to Nārāyaṇa
न वेद कृपण: श्रेय आत्मनो गुणवस्तुदृक् । तस्य तानिच्छतो यच्छेद्यदि सोऽपि तथाविध: ॥ ४९ ॥
na veda kṛpaṇaḥ śreya ātmano guṇa-vastu-dṛk tasya tān icchato yacched yadi so ’pi tathā-vidhaḥ
Ceux qui tiennent les richesses matérielles pour tout et pour le but ultime de la vie sont appelés kṛpaṇas, des avares d’âme. Ils ignorent la nécessité suprême de l’âme. De plus, quiconque accorde à de tels insensés ce qu’ils désirent doit aussi être considéré comme insensé.
There are two classes of men — namely the kṛpaṇa and the brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is one who knows Brahman, the Absolute Truth, and who thus knows his real interest. A kṛpaṇa, however, is one who has a material, bodily concept of life. Not knowing how to utilize his human or demigod life, a kṛpaṇa is attracted by things created by the material modes of nature. The kṛpaṇas, who always desire material benefits, are foolish, whereas brāhmaṇas, who always desire spiritual benefits, are intelligent. If a kṛpaṇa, not knowing his self-interest, foolishly asks for something material, one who awards it to him is also foolish. Kṛṣṇa, however, is not a foolish person; He is supremely intelligent. If someone comes to Kṛṣṇa asking for material benefits, Kṛṣṇa does not award him the material things he desires. Instead, the Lord gives him intelligence so that he will forget his material desires and become attached to the Lord’s lotus feet. In such cases, although the kṛpaṇa offers prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa for material things, the Lord takes away whatever material possessions the kṛpaṇa has and gives him the sense to become a devotee. As stated by the Lord in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Madhya 22.39) :
FAQs
This verse says a kṛpaṇa fails to understand the true benefit (śreya) of the self, even if he can analyze material qualities and objects.
Because desires rooted in the same miserly mentality are spiritually harmful; restraining them supports the person’s long-term welfare rather than feeding ignorance.
Prioritize choices that nourish the soul (bhakti, self-discipline, service) over impulses that merely gratify the senses, and practice saying “no” to wants that deepen attachment.