FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.13.18

द्रुमेषु रंस्यन् सुतदारवत्सलो व्यवायदीनो विवश: स्वबन्धने । क्‍वचित्प्रमादाद् गिरिकन्दरे पतन् वल्लीं गृहीत्वा गजभीत आस्थित: ॥ १८ ॥
drumeṣu raṁsyan suta-dāra-vatsalo
[drumeshu ramsyan suta-daara-vatsalo]
vyavāya-dīno vivaśaḥ sva-bandhane
[vyavaaya-deeno vivashah sva-bandhane]
kvacit pramādād giri-kandare patan
[kvachit pramaadaad giri-kandare patan]
vallīṁ gṛhītvā gaja-bhīta āsthitaḥ
[valleem griheetvaa gaja-bheeta aasthitah]
Word-for-word
drumeṣu — in the trees (or in houses standing like trees in which monkeys jump from one branch to another) raṁsyan — enjoying suta-dāra-vatsalaḥ — being attached to the children and wife vyavāya-dīnaḥ — who is poor-hearted because of acting on the platform of sex desire vivaśaḥ — unable to give up sva-bandhane — in bondage to the reactions of one’s own activities kvacit — sometimes pramādāt — from fear of imminent death giri-kandare — in a cave in a mountain patan — falling down vallīm — the branches of a creeper gṛhītvā — capturing gaja-bhītaḥ — being afraid of the elephant of death āsthitaḥ — remains in that position.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
drumeṣu raṁsyan suta-dāra-vatsalo
drumeṣu
in the trees (or in houses standing like trees in which monkeys jump from one branch to another)
raṁsyan
enjoying
suta-dāra-vatsalaḥ
being attached to the children and wife
vyavāya-dīno vivaśaḥ sva-bandhane
vyavāya-dīnaḥ
who is poor-hearted because of acting on the platform of sex desire
vivaśaḥ
unable to give up
sva-bandhane
in bondage to the reactions of one’s own activities
kvacit pramādād giri-kandare patan
kvacit
sometimes
pramādāt
from fear of imminent death
giri-kandare
in a cave in a mountain
patan
falling down
vallīṁ gṛhītvā gaja-bhīta āsthitaḥ
vallīm
the branches of a creeper
gṛhītvā
capturing
gaja-bhītaḥ
being afraid of the elephant of death
āsthitaḥ
remains in that position.
When the living entity becomes exactly like a monkey jumping from one branch to another, he remains in the tree of household life without any profit but sex. Thus he is kicked by his wife just like the he-ass. Unable to gain release, he remains helplessly in that position. Sometimes he falls victim to an incurable disease, which is like falling into a mountain cave. He becomes afraid of death, which is like the elephant in the back of that cave, and he remains stranded, grasping at the twigs and branches of a creeper.
Purport

The precarious condition of a householder’s life is described herein. A householder’s life is full of misery, and the only attraction is sex with the wife who kicks him during sexual intercourse, just as the she-ass does her mate. Due to continuous sex life, he falls victim to many incurable diseases. At that time, being afraid of death, which is like an elephant, he remains hanging from the twigs and branches of the tree, just like a monkey.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Enjoying in the trees, affectionate to sons and wife, miserable because of sex life, bound up there and helpless, he sometimes, out of inattention, falls into a mountain cave. Holding onto a creeper, afraid of an elephant, he remains dangling there. He enjoys in the houses, places of pleasure. Desiring sex life, he is kicked by the woman. He is bound up helplessly (sva-bandhane) in that forest, and cannot escape. Another version has caran vane (wandering in the forest). Becoming terribly sick, like falling into a mountain cave, he fears death, compared to an elephant. He remains alive by the support of his karmas, like a vine holding him up.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The householder dependent on sex life is like a monkey hanging from a tree — kicked by his wife, threatened by the elephant of death, vulnerable to incurable disease. The household scene, looked at honestly, is not nearly as cozy as it advertises.
Reflection Questions
  • Where are you holding tight to a branch out of habit, while the elephant of death paces below?
  • What honest look at your domestic life would change how you spend the rest of it?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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