Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 11
Prahlāda Instructs the Sons of Demons: Begin Bhakti from Childhood; Household Attachment as Bondage; Nārāyaṇa as the All-Pervading Supersoul
कथं प्रियाया अनुकम्पिताया: सङ्गं रहस्यं रुचिरांश्च मन्त्रान् । सुहृत्सु तत्स्नेहसित: शिशूनां कलाक्षराणामनुरक्तचित्त: ॥ ११ ॥ पुत्रान्स्मरंस्ता दुहितृर्हृदय्या भ्रातृन् स्वसृर्वा पितरौ च दीनौ । गृहान् मनोज्ञोरुपरिच्छदांश्च वृत्तीश्च कुल्या: पशुभृत्यवर्गान् ॥ १२ ॥ त्यजेत कोशस्कृदिवेहमान: कर्माणि लोभादवितृप्तकाम: । औपस्थ्यजैह्वं बहुमन्यमान: कथं विरज्येत दुरन्तमोह: ॥ १३ ॥
kathaṁ priyāyā anukampitāyāḥ saṅgaṁ rahasyaṁ rucirāṁś ca mantrān suhṛtsu tat-sneha-sitaḥ śiśūnāṁ kalākṣarāṇām anurakta-cittaḥ
കുടുംബത്തോടു ഹൃദയം നിറഞ്ഞ സ്നേഹമുള്ളവൻ ആ സംഗം എങ്ങനെ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കും? കരുണാമയിയായ പ്രിയഭാര്യയുടെ ഏകാന്തസുഖവും മധുരവചനങ്ങളും, കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങളുടെ തട്ടിത്തടഞ്ഞ മധുരവാക്കുകളും മനസ്സിനെ ബന്ധിക്കുമ്പോൾ അവൻ എങ്ങനെ വിരക്തനാകും?
In household affairs the first attraction is the beautiful and pleasing wife, who increases household attraction more and more. One enjoys his wife with two prominent sense organs, namely the tongue and the genitals. The wife speaks very sweetly. This is certainly an attraction. Then she prepares very palatable foods to satisfy the tongue, and when the tongue is satisfied one gains strength in the other sense organs, especially the genitals. Thus the wife gives pleasure in sexual intercourse. Household life means sex life ( yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham ). This is encouraged by the tongue. Then there are children. A baby gives pleasure by speaking sweet words in broken language, and when the sons and daughters are grown up one becomes involved in their education and marriage. Then there are one’s own father and mother to be taken care of, and one also becomes concerned with the social atmosphere and with pleasing his brothers and sisters. A man becomes increasingly entangled in household affairs, so much so that leaving them becomes almost impossible. Thus the household becomes gṛham andha-kūpam, a dark well into which the man has fallen. For such a man to get out is extremely difficult unless he is helped by a strong person, the spiritual master, who helps the fallen person with the strong rope of spiritual instructions. A fallen person should take advantage of this rope, and then the spiritual master, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, will take him out of the dark well.
FAQs
Prahlada explains that affectionate intimacy with spouse, friends, and the sweet speech of children strongly binds the mind, making detachment from illusion (mोह) very difficult without higher spiritual absorption.
He was instructing demoniac schoolmates that worldly affection can trap consciousness, and that real self-interest is to turn the mind toward Hari through bhakti rather than remain bound by household attachment.
Love family with duty and kindness, but avoid letting identity and happiness depend solely on them; daily anchor the mind in nāma-japa, hearing Bhagavatam, and service so affection doesn’t become bondage.