Shloka 4
Ṛṣabhadeva Instructs His Sons: Tapasya, Mahātmā-Sevā, and Cutting the Heart-Knot
नूनं प्रमत्त: कुरुते विकर्म यदिन्द्रियप्रीतय आपृणोति । न साधु मन्ये यत आत्मनोऽय- मसन्नपि क्लेशद आस देह: ॥ ४ ॥
nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti na sādhu manye yata ātmano ’yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ
ఇంద్రియసుఖమే జీవనలక్ష్యమని భావించే వాడు మత్తుడై పాపకర్మలు చేస్తాడు. గత దుష్కర్మల ఫలంగా ఈ శరీరం లభించిందని, అది నశ్వరమైనా దుఃఖకారణమని అతడు గ్రహించడు. కనుక మళ్లీ మళ్లీ ఇంద్రియభోగం కోసం కర్మల్లో పడటం బుద్ధిమంతునికి తగదు॥
Begging, borrowing and stealing to live for sense gratification is condemned in this verse because such consciousness leads one to a dark, hellish condition. The four sinful activities are illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. These are the means by which one gets another material body that is full of miseries. In the Vedas it is said: asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. The living entity is not really connected with this material world, but due to his tendency to enjoy the material senses he is put into the material condition. One should perfect his life by associating with devotees. He should not become further implicated in the material body.
FAQs
This verse states that a person deluded by illusion commits vikarma specifically to please the senses, showing that unchecked sense pleasure pushes one toward irreligious actions.
Ṛṣabhadeva was instructing his sons on dharma and renunciation, warning them that chasing sense pleasure leads to sinful behavior and binds the soul to suffering through bodily identification.
Before acting, pause to ask whether the choice is driven by mere sensory impulse; choose discipline and dharmic habits (clean conduct, moderation, devotion) to reduce suffering and strengthen spiritual clarity.