Shloka 34
Paramahaṁsa-Dharma: The Avadhūta-like Sannyāsī and Prahlāda’s Dialogue with the ‘Python’ Saint
शोकमोहभयक्रोधरागक्लैब्यश्रमादय: । यन्मूला: स्युर्नृणां जह्यात्स्पृहां प्राणार्थयोर्बुध: ॥ ३४ ॥
śoka-moha-bhaya-krodha- rāga-klaibya-śramādayaḥ yan-mūlāḥ syur nṛṇāṁ jahyāt spṛhāṁ prāṇārthayor budhaḥ
जे बुद्धिमान आहेत त्यांनी शोक, मोह, भय, क्रोध, आसक्ती, दैन्य व निरर्थक श्रम यांचे मूळ कारण सोडावे—ते मूळ कारण म्हणजे प्राणरक्षण व धनासाठीची तृष्णा.
Here is the difference between Vedic civilization and the modern demoniac civilization. Vedic civilization concerned itself with how to achieve self-realization, and for this purpose one was recommended to have a small income to maintain body and soul together. The society was divided into brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras, and the members of this society would limit their endeavors to meeting their minimum demands. The brāhmaṇas, in particular, would have no material desires. Because the kṣatriyas had to rule the people, it was necessary for them to have money and prestige. But the vaiśyas were satisfied with agricultural produce and milk from the cow, and if by chance there were excess, trade was allowed. The śūdras were also happy, for they would get food and shelter from the three higher classes. In the demoniac civilization of the present day, however, there is no question of brāhmaṇas or kṣatriyas; there are only so-called workers and a flourishing mercantile class who have no goal in life.
FAQs
This verse states that grief, delusion, fear, anger, attachment, and similar miseries arise from one root—hankering (spṛhā), especially craving for bodily survival and material wealth.
Because such craving fuels the chain of mental and emotional disturbances that bind a person to anxiety and suffering; reducing hankering supports steady dharma and devotion.
Practice simplifying desires, reduce anxiety-driven accumulation, and cultivate reliance on the Lord through disciplined living, gratitude, and devotional practices—so the mind is less ruled by fear and greed.