Shloka 10
Purañjana Captivated by Lust; Time (Caṇḍavega) and Old Age (Kālakanyā) Begin the Siege
तेषु तद्रिक्थहारेषु गृहकोशानुजीविषु । निरूढेन ममत्वेन विषयेष्वन्वबध्यत ॥ १० ॥
teṣu tad-riktha-hāreṣu gṛha-kośānujīviṣu nirūḍhena mamatvena viṣayeṣv anvabadhyata
Esses filhos e netos tornaram-se, por assim dizer, saqueadores de suas riquezas—casa, tesouro, servos e todo o aparato—; e, ainda assim, o apego de Purañjana a tais objetos estava profundamente enraizado.
In this verse the word riktha-hāreṣu, meaning “plunderers of wealth,” is very significant. One’s sons, grandsons and other descendants are ultimately plunderers of one’s accumulated wealth. There are many celebrated businessmen and industrialists who produce great wealth and are highly praised by the public, but all their money is ultimately plundered by their sons and grandsons. In India we have actually seen one industrialist who, like King Purañjana, was very much sexually inclined and had a half dozen wives. Each of these wives had a separate establishment that necessitated the expenditure of several thousands of rupees. When I was engaged in talking with him, I saw that he was very busy trying to secure money so that all his sons and daughters would get at least five hundred thousand rupees each. Thus such industrialists, businessmen or karmīs are called mūḍhas in the śāstras. They work very hard, accumulate money, and are satisfied to see that this money is plundered by their sons and grandsons. Such people do not want to return their wealth to its actual owner. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29) , bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: the real proprietor of all wealth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the actual enjoyer. So-called earners of money are those who simply know tricks by which they can take away God’s money under the guise of business and industry. After accumulating this money, they enjoy seeing it plundered by their sons and grandsons. This is the materialistic way of life. In materialistic life one is encaged within the body and deluded by false egoism. Thus one thinks, “I am this body,” “I am a human being,” “I am an American,” “I am an Indian.” This bodily conception is due to false ego. Being deluded by false ego, one identifies himself with a certain family, nation or community. In this way one’s attachment for the material world grows deeper and deeper. Thus it becomes very difficult for the living entity to extricate himself from his entanglement. Such people are graphically described in the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā (16.13-15) in this way:
FAQs
This verse says that when ‘mine-ness’ (mamatva) becomes deeply rooted, a person becomes bound to sense objects—even while others appropriate his property—because the heart remains attached to possessions and enjoyment.
In the Purañjana allegory, Śukadeva explains how possessiveness makes the living being identify with house, treasury, and dependents, which tightens bondage to viṣayas (sense enjoyments) and perpetuates material entanglement.
Reduce the sense of ownership by seeing wealth and relationships as temporary trusts, practice devotion and detachment, and make choices based on dharma and service rather than possessive control.