Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 14
Devotion in Kimpuruṣa-varṣa and the Glory of Bhārata-varṣa
Rāmacandra & Nara-Nārāyaṇa; Rivers, Varṇāśrama, and Liberation
यथैहिकामुष्मिककामलम्पट: सुतेषु दारेषु धनेषु चिन्तयन् । शङ्केत विद्वान् कुकलेवरात्ययाद् यस्तस्य यत्न: श्रम एव केवलम् ॥ १४ ॥
yathaihikāmuṣmika-kāma-lampaṭaḥ suteṣu dāreṣu dhaneṣu cintayan śaṅketa vidvān kukalevarātyayād yas tasya yatnaḥ śrama eva kevalam
Если ученый человек привязан к наслаждениям в этой жизни и следующей, поглощен мыслями о жене, детям и богатстве и боится оставить это бренное тело, все его усилия — лишь напрасный труд.
At the time of death a materialist thinks of his wife and children. He is absorbed in thinking of how they will live and who will take care of them after he leaves. Consequently he is never prepared to give up his body; rather, he wants to continue to live in his body to serve his society, family, friends and so on. Therefore by practicing the mystic yoga system one must become detached from bodily relationships. If despite practicing bhakti-yoga and studying all the Vedic literature, one is afraid of giving up his bad body, which is the cause of all his suffering, what is the use of his attempts to advance in spiritual life? The secret of success in practicing yoga is to become free from bodily attachments. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra-bandhana kāhāṅ tāra: one whose practice has freed him from the anxieties of bodily needs is no longer in conditional life. Such a person is freed from conditional bondage. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must fully discharge his devotional duties without material attachment. Then his liberation is guaranteed.
FAQs
This verse warns that constant absorption in children, spouse, and wealth—driven by worldly and heavenly desires—reduces one’s efforts to mere toil, because death ends the body and frustrates such pursuits.
He urges the wise to stay alert to the body’s inevitable end (kukalevara-atyaya), so they do not waste life in endless material planning and instead turn toward lasting spiritual realization.
Fulfill duties responsibly, but reduce obsessive anxiety over possessions and relationships; invest daily time in bhakti—hearing, chanting, and remembrance—so life’s work is not “śrama eva kevalam,” labor without lasting gain.