FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.13.2

यस्यामिमे षण्नरदेव दस्यव: सार्थं विलुम्पन्ति कुनायकं बलात् । गोमायवो यत्र हरन्ति सार्थिकं प्रमत्तमाविश्य यथोरणं वृका: ॥ २ ॥
yasyām ime ṣaṇ nara-deva dasyavaḥ
[yasyaam ime shan nara-deva dasyavah]
sārthaṁ vilumpanti kunāyakaṁ balāt
[saartham vilumpanti kunaayakam balaat]
gomāyavo yatra haranti sārthikaṁ
[gomaayavo yatra haranti saarthikam]
pramattam āviśya yathoraṇaṁ vṛkāḥ
[pramattam aavishya yathoranam vrikaah]
yasyām — in which (in the forest of material existence) ime — these ṣaṭ — six nara-deva — O King dasyavaḥ — the plunderers sa-artham — the conditioned souls, who are interested in false ideas vilumpanti — plunder, regularly taking away all the possessions ku-nāyakam — who are always misguided by so-called gurus, or spiritual masters balāt — by force gomāyavaḥ — exactly like foxes yatra — in which forest haranti — they take away sa-arthikam — the conditioned soul who is seeking material profits to maintain the body and soul pramattam — who is a crazy man not knowing his self-interest āviśya — entering the heart yathā — just as uraṇam — nicely protected lambs vṛkāḥ — the tigers.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yasyām ime ṣaṇ nara-deva dasyavaḥ
yasyām
in which (in the forest of material existence)
ime
these
ṣaṭ
six
nara-deva
O King
dasyavaḥ
the plunderers
sārthaṁ vilumpanti kunāyakaṁ balāt
sa-artham
the conditioned souls, who are interested in false ideas
vilumpanti
plunder, regularly taking away all the possessions
ku-nāyakam
who are always misguided by so-called gurus, or spiritual masters
balāt
by force
gomāyavo yatra haranti sārthikaṁ
gomāyavaḥ
exactly like foxes
yatra
in which forest
haranti
they take away
sa-arthikam
the conditioned soul who is seeking material profits to maintain the body and soul
pramattam āviśya yathoraṇaṁ vṛkāḥ
pramattam
who is a crazy man not knowing his self-interest
āviśya
entering the heart
yathā
just as
uraṇam
nicely protected lambs
vṛkāḥ
the tigers.
O King Rahūgaṇa, in this forest of material existence there are six very powerful plunderers. When the conditioned soul enters the forest to acquire some material gain, the six plunderers misguide him. Thus the conditioned merchant does not know how to spend his money, and it is taken away by these plunderers. Like tigers, jackals and other ferocious animals in a forest that are ready to take away a lamb from the custody of its protector, the wife and children enter the heart of the merchant and plunder him in so many ways.

In the forest there are many plunderers, dacoits, jackals and tigers. The jackals are compared to one’s wife and children. In the dead of night, jackals cry very loudly, and similarly one’s wife and children in this material world also cry like jackals. The children say, “Father, this is wanted; give me this. I am your dear son.” Or the wife says, “I am your dear wife. Please give me this. This is now needed.” In this way one is plundered by the thieves in the forest. Not knowing the aim of human life, one is constantly being misguided. The aim of life is Viṣṇu ( na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum ). Everyone works very hard to earn money, but no one knows that his real self-interest is in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead of spending money for advancing the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, one spends his hard-earned money on clubs, brothels, liquor, slaughterhouses and so forth. Due to sinful activities, one becomes implicated in the process of transmigration and thus has to accept one body after another. Being thus absorbed in a distressed condition, one never attains happiness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O King! In the forest, the six plunderers plunder the merchant who has received bad advice. In that forest, the jackals enter his house by force and plunder the inattentive merchant just as wolves steal sheep. The plunderers are the senses. They plunder wealth from the jīva whose intelligence is like a bad chariot driver (ku-nāyakam), though the wealth is actually meant for serving the Lord, but is used for his enjoyment. Wife and sons who are like jackals plunder the merchant who is inattentive to spiritual goals (pramattam) and possesses a treasure of food and clothing. Āviśya means “they enter his heart which is like a house.” Uraṇam means sheep.
Six plunderers — the senses guided by the uncontrolled mind — lie in wait in the forest of material life. Family demands cry like jackals at night, and the inner predators tear up what little we gain. Vigilance is not paranoia; it is realism.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of the six plunderers in your life is currently doing the most damage to your spiritual capital?
  • What 'jackal cries' from those you love are reliably pulling you off course?
📝 My note

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