Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 6
The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa (Avanti-brāhmaṇa-gītā): Mind as the Root of Suffering and Equanimity Amid Insult
अवन्तिषु द्विज: कश्चिदासीदाढ्यतम: श्रिया । वार्तावृत्ति: कदर्यस्तु कामी लुब्धोऽतिकोपन: ॥ ६ ॥
avantiṣu dvijaḥ kaścid āsīd āḍhyatamaḥ śriyā vārtā-vṛttiḥ kadaryas tu kāmī lubdho ’ti-kopanaḥ
Na terra de Avantī vivia certo brāhmana, riquíssimo e dotado de todas as opulências, ocupado no comércio. Mas era avarento — luxurioso, ganancioso e muito propenso à ira.
According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, the Avantī country is the district of Malwa. This brāhmaṇa was extremely wealthy, doing business in agriculture, banking and so on. Being a miser, he suffered agony when his hard-earned wealth was lost, as will be described by the Lord Himself.
FAQs
This verse introduces a wealthy brāhmaṇa whose miserliness, lust, greed, and anger are presented as binding faults—inner enemies that distort one’s livelihood and character despite external prosperity.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates this account as part of Canto 11’s teachings, using the Avanti brāhmaṇa as a case study to show how material attachment and vice lead to suffering and eventually to detachment.
Watch for the trio of lust, greed, and anger in daily decisions—especially around money and relationships—and cultivate generosity, restraint, and patience as practical steps toward inner freedom and devotion.