FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.9

मन्मायामोहितधिय: पुरुषा: पुरुषर्षभ । श्रेयो वदन्त्यनेकान्तं यथाकर्म यथारुचि ॥ ९ ॥
man-māyā-mohita-dhiyaḥ
[man-maayaa-mohita-dhiyah]
puruṣāḥ puruṣarṣabha
[purushaah purusharshabha]
śreyo vadanty anekāntaṁ
[shreyo vadanty anekaantam]
yathā-karma yathā-ruci
[yathaa-karma yathaa-ruchi]
mat-māyā — by My illusory potency mohita — bewildered dhiyaḥ — those whose intelligence puruṣāḥ — people puruṣa-ṛṣabha — O best among men śreyaḥ — what is good for people vadanti — they speak aneka-antam — in innumerable ways yathā-karma — according to their own activities yathā-ruci — according to what pleases them.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
man-māyā-mohita-dhiyaḥ
mat-māyā
by My illusory potency
mohita
bewildered
dhiyaḥ
those whose intelligence
puruṣāḥ puruṣarṣabha
puruṣāḥ
people
puruṣa-ṛṣabha
O best among men
śreyo vadanty anekāntaṁ
śreyaḥ
what is good for people
vadanti
they speak
aneka-antam
in innumerable ways
yathā-karma yathā-ruci
yathā-karma
according to their own activities
yathā-ruci
according to what pleases them.
O best among men, the intelligence of human beings is bewildered by My illusory potency, and thus, according to their own activities and whims, they speak in innumerable ways about what is actually good for people.

Unlike the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the individual living entity is not omniscient, therefore his activities and pleasures do not represent the whole truth. According to one’s individual way of doing things ( yathā-karma ) and one’s personal preference ( yathā-ruci ), one speaks to others about what is good for them. Everyone thinks, “What is good for me is good for everyone.” Actually, the best thing for everyone is to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus realize one’s eternal nature of bliss and knowledge. Without knowledge of the Absolute Truth, many so-called learned people are whimsically advising other whimsical people who also lack perfect knowledge of the actual goal of life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O best among men! The intelligence of human beings is bewildered by my illusory potency, and thus, according to their own activities and whims, they speak in innumerable ways about what is actually good for people.
Bewildered by māyā, humans speak in countless ways about what is actually good for people — each according to their own activities and whims. Confidence is not the same as correctness.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I speaking confidently about what is 'really' good?
  • What would humility about my own clarity look like?
📝 My note

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