FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.18.75

आराध्यात्मप्रदं देवं स्वात्मानं जगदीश्वरम् । को वृणीत गुणस्पर्शं बुध: स्यान्नरकेऽपि यत् ॥ ७५ ॥
ārādhyātma-pradaṁ devaṁ
[aaraadhyaatma-pradam devam]
svātmānaṁ jagad-īśvaram
[svaatmaanam jagad-eeshvaram]
ko vṛṇīta guṇa-sparśaṁ
[ko vrineeta guna-sparsham]
budhaḥ syān narake ’pi yat
[budhah syaan narake ’pi yat]
Word-for-word
ārādhya — after worshiping ātma-pradam — who gives Himself devam — the Lord sva-ātmānam — the most dear jagat-īśvaram — the Lord of the universe kaḥ — what vṛṇīta — would choose guṇa-sparśam — material happiness budhaḥ — intelligent person syāt — is narake — in hell api — even yat — which.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ārādhyātma-pradaṁ devaṁ
ārādhya
after worshiping
ātma-pradam
who gives Himself
devam
the Lord
svātmānaṁ jagad-īśvaram
sva-ātmānam
the most dear
jagat-īśvaram
the Lord of the universe
kaḥ
what
ko vṛṇīta guṇa-sparśaṁ
vṛṇīta
would choose
guṇa-sparśam
material happiness
budhaḥ syān narake ’pi yat
budhaḥ
intelligent person
syāt
is
narake
in hell
api
even
yat
which.
The ultimate goal of all ambitions is to become a servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If an intelligent man serves the most dear Lord, who gives Himself to His devotees, how can he desire material happiness, which is available even in hell?
Purport

An intelligent man will never aspire to become a devotee to achieve material happiness. That is the test of a devotee. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches:

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

“O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service birth after birth.” A pure devotee never begs the Lord for material happiness in the shape of riches, followers, a good wife or even mukti. The Lord promises, however, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: “I voluntarily bring everything necessary for My service.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
What intelligent person, having worshipped the Lord of the universe, who is the performer of pastimes, having worshipped the Lord with a beautiful form who gives himself to the devotee, would accept material happiness, which is available in hell? Devam here means “the Lord who is absorbed in pastimes.” Svātmānam (su ātmānam) means “beautiful form.”
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The ultimate goal of all ambitions is to become a servant of the Lord; if one serves Him, how can one desire material happiness available even in hellish life? Re-framing happiness from outcome to relation changes everything.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I treated 'becoming a servant' as small when it is the ultimate?
  • What would make this ambition central?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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