FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.11-13

कथं प्रियाया अनुकम्पिताया: सङ्गं रहस्यं रुचिरांश्च मन्त्रान् । सुहृत्सु तत्स्‍नेहसित: शिशूनां कलाक्षराणामनुरक्तचित्त: ॥ ११ ॥ पुत्रान्स्मरंस्ता दुहितृर्हृदय्या भ्रातृन् स्वसृर्वा पितरौ च दीनौ । गृहान् मनोज्ञोरुपरिच्छदांश्च वृत्तीश्च कुल्या: पशुभृत्यवर्गान् ॥ १२ ॥ त्यजेत कोशस्कृदिवेहमान: कर्माणि लोभादवितृप्तकाम: । औपस्थ्यजैह्वं बहुमन्यमान: कथं विरज्येत दुरन्तमोह: ॥ १३ ॥
kathaṁ priyāyā anukampitāyāḥ
[katham priyaayaa anukampitaayaah]
saṅgaṁ rahasyaṁ rucirāṁś ca mantrān
[sangam rahasyam ruchiraamsh cha mantraan]
suhṛtsu tat-sneha-sitaḥ śiśūnāṁ
[suhritsu tat-sneha-sitah shishoonaam]
kalākṣarāṇām anurakta-cittaḥ
[kalaaksharaanaam anurakta-chittah]
putrān smaraṁs tā duhitṝr hṛdayyā
[putraan smarams taa duhitreer hridayyaa]
bhrātṝn svasṝr vā pitarau ca dīnau
[bhraatreen svasreer vaa pitarau cha deenau]
gṛhān manojñoru-paricchadāṁś ca
[grihaan manojnoru-parichchadaamsh cha]
vṛttīś ca kulyāḥ paśu-bhṛtya-vargān
[vritteesh cha kulyaah pashu-bhritya-vargaan]
tyajeta kośas-kṛd ivehamānaḥ
[tyajeta koshas-krid ivehamaanah]
karmāṇi lobhād avitṛpta-kāmaḥ
[karmaani lobhaad avitripta-kaamah]
aupasthya-jaihvaṁ bahu-manyamānaḥ
[aupasthya-jaihvam bahu-manyamaanah]
kathaṁ virajyeta duranta-mohaḥ
[katham virajyeta duranta-mohah]
katham — how priyāyāḥ — of the dearmost wife anukampitāyāḥ — always affectionate and compassionate saṅgam — the association rahasyam — solitary rucirān — very pleasing and acceptable ca — and mantrān — instructions suhṛtsu — to the wife and children tat-sneha-sitaḥ — being bound by their affection śiśūnām — to the small children kala-akṣarāṇām — speaking in broken language anurakta-cittaḥ — a person whose mind is attracted putrān — the sons smaran — thinking of tāḥ — them duhitṝḥ — the daughters (married and staying at the homes of their husbands) hṛdayyāḥ — always situated in the core of the heart bhrātṝn — the brothers svasṝḥ vā — or the sisters pitarau — father and mother ca — and dīnau — who in old age are mostly invalids gṛhān — household affairs manojña — very attractive uru — much paricchadān — furniture ca — and vṛttīḥ — big sources of income (industry, business) ca — and kulyāḥ — connected with the family paśu — of animals (cows, elephants and other household animals) bhṛtya — servants and maidservants vargān — groups tyajeta — can give up kośaḥ-kṛt — the silkworm iva — like īhamānaḥ — performing karmāṇi — different activities lobhāt — because of insatiable desires avitṛpta-kāmaḥ — whose increasing desires are not satisfied aupasthya — pleasure from the genitals jaihvam — and the tongue bahu-manyamānaḥ — considering as very important katham — how virajyeta — is able to give up duranta-mohaḥ — being in great illusion.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kathaṁ priyāyā anukampitāyāḥ
katham
how
priyāyāḥ
of the dearmost wife
anukampitāyāḥ
always affectionate and compassionate
saṅgaṁ rahasyaṁ rucirāṁś ca mantrān
saṅgam
the association
rahasyam
solitary
rucirān
very pleasing and acceptable
ca
and
mantrān
instructions
suhṛtsu tat-sneha-sitaḥ śiśūnāṁ
suhṛtsu
to the wife and children
tat-sneha-sitaḥ
being bound by their affection
śiśūnām
to the small children
kalākṣarāṇām anurakta-cittaḥ
kala-akṣarāṇām
speaking in broken language
anurakta-cittaḥ
a person whose mind is attracted
putrān smaraṁs tā duhitṝr hṛdayyā
putrān
the sons
smaran
thinking of
tāḥ
them
duhitṝḥ
the daughters (married and staying at the homes of their husbands)
hṛdayyāḥ
always situated in the core of the heart
bhrātṝn svasṝr vā pitarau ca dīnau
bhrātṝn
the brothers
svasṝḥ vā
or the sisters
pitarau
father and mother
ca
and
dīnau
who in old age are mostly invalids
gṛhān manojñoru-paricchadāṁś ca
gṛhān
household affairs
manojña
very attractive
vṛttīś ca kulyāḥ paśu-bhṛtya-vargān
tyajeta kośas-kṛd ivehamānaḥ
karmāṇi lobhād avitṛpta-kāmaḥ
aupasthya-jaihvaṁ bahu-manyamānaḥ
kathaṁ virajyeta duranta-mohaḥ
uru
much
paricchadān
furniture
ca
and
vṛttīḥ
big sources of income (industry, business)
ca
and
kulyāḥ
connected with the family
paśu
of animals (cows, elephants and other household animals)
bhṛtya
servants and maidservants
vargān
groups
tyajeta
can give up
kośaḥ-kṛt
the silkworm
iva
like
īhamānaḥ
performing
karmāṇi
different activities
lobhāt
because of insatiable desires
avitṛpta-kāmaḥ
whose increasing desires are not satisfied
aupasthya
pleasure from the genitals
jaihvam
and the tongue
bahu-manyamānaḥ
considering as very important
katham
how
virajyeta
is able to give up
duranta-mohaḥ
being in great illusion.
How can a person who is most affectionate to his family, the core of his heart being always filled with their pictures, give up their association? Specifically, a wife is always very kind and sympathetic and always pleases her husband in a solitary place. Who could give up the association of such a dear and affectionate wife? Small children talk in broken language, very pleasing to hear, and their affectionate father always thinks of their sweet words. How could he give up their association? One’s elderly parents and one’s sons and daughters are also very dear. A daughter is especially dear to her father, and while living at her husband’s house she is always in his mind. Who could give up that association? Aside from this, in household affairs there are many decorated items of household furniture, and there are also animals and servants. Who could give up such comforts? The attached householder is like a silkworm, which weaves a cocoon in which it becomes imprisoned, unable to get out. Simply for the satisfaction of two important senses — the genitals and the tongue — one is bound by material conditions. How can one escape?

In household affairs the first attraction is the beautiful and pleasing wife, who increases household attraction more and more. One enjoys his wife with two prominent sense organs, namely the tongue and the genitals. The wife speaks very sweetly. This is certainly an attraction. Then she prepares very palatable foods to satisfy the tongue, and when the tongue is satisfied one gains strength in the other sense organs, especially the genitals. Thus the wife gives pleasure in sexual intercourse. Household life means sex life ( yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham ). This is encouraged by the tongue. Then there are children. A baby gives pleasure by speaking sweet words in broken language, and when the sons and daughters are grown up one becomes involved in their education and marriage. Then there are one’s own father and mother to be taken care of, and one also becomes concerned with the social atmosphere and with pleasing his brothers and sisters. A man becomes increasingly entangled in household affairs, so much so that leaving them becomes almost impossible. Thus the household becomes gṛham andha-kūpam, a dark well into which the man has fallen. For such a man to get out is extremely difficult unless he is helped by a strong person, the spiritual master, who helps the fallen person with the strong rope of spiritual instructions. A fallen person should take advantage of this rope, and then the spiritual master, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, will take him out of the dark well.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
How can a person, remembering his private association with his affectionate wife and their pleasing conversations, give her up? Bound by affection to his children, attracted to their simple words, remembering his association with those children, remembering his sons, how can he give them up? How can he give up daughters who touch his heart, or brothers, sisters, dependent father and mother, houses with furniture, means of livelihood passed down in the family, domestic animals and servants? Just as silkworm builds a cocoon with no exit and thus perishes, the foolish person, acting out of lust with unsatisfied desires, giving importance to the happiness of the genital and tongue, builds a trap with no escape. How can this person under great illusion become detached? The strength of attachment to wife and sons is shown. Remembering association with his wife, how can a person give it up? Three verses are connected. Mantrān means conversations with beneficial instructions. Bound (sitaḥ) by affection for them, how can he can give up association with small children? How can he give up his daughters, touching his heart (hrḍayyaḥ) even if they live with their husbands? How can he give up the means of livelihood passed down in the family (vṛttīḥ kulyāh)? Just as the silkworm makes is cocoon without making a door to get out, and thus dies, so a person, giving great importance to happiness of the genital and tongue, performs actions and binds himself up with no escape.
Sweet wife, broken-language children, dear daughter, aging parents, decorated home, animals, servants — who can give all this up? The attached householder is like a silkworm spinning its own cocoon, all for the satisfaction of tongue and genitals. Two small senses bind a whole life.
Reflection Questions
  • Which two senses are most often deciding the shape of your life?
  • How could devotion, not deprivation, gradually free you from that pattern?
📝 My note

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