FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.20.9

सुलभा युधि विप्रर्षे ह्यनिवृत्तास्तनुत्यज: । न तथा तीर्थ आयाते श्रद्धया ये धनत्यज: ॥ ९ ॥
sulabhā yudhi viprarṣe
[sulabhaa yudhi viprarshe]
hy anivṛttās tanu-tyajaḥ
[hy anivrittaas tanu-tyajah]
na tathā tīrtha āyāte
[na tathaa teertha aayaate]
śraddhayā ye dhana-tyajaḥ
[shraddhayaa ye dhana-tyajah]
su-labhāḥ — very easily obtained yudhi — in the battlefield vipra-ṛṣe — O best of the brāhmaṇas hi — indeed anivṛttāḥ — not being afraid of fighting tanu-tyajaḥ — and thus lay down their lives na — not tathā — as tīrthe āyāte — on the arrival of a saintly person who creates holy places śraddhayā — with faith and devotion ye — those who dhana-tyajaḥ — can give up their accumulated wealth.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sulabhā yudhi viprarṣe
su-labhāḥ
very easily obtained
yudhi
in the battlefield
vipra-ṛṣe
O best of the brāhmaṇas
hi
indeed
hy anivṛttās tanu-tyajaḥ
anivṛttāḥ
not being afraid of fighting
tanu-tyajaḥ
and thus lay down their lives
na tathā tīrtha āyāte
na
not
tathā
as
tīrthe āyāte
on the arrival of a saintly person who creates holy places
śraddhayā ye dhana-tyajaḥ
śraddhayā
with faith and devotion
ye
those who
dhana-tyajaḥ
can give up their accumulated wealth.
O best of the brāhmaṇas, many men have laid down their lives on the battlefield, being unafraid of fighting, but rarely has one gotten the chance to give his accumulated wealth faithfully to a saintly person who creates holy places.

Many kṣatriyas have laid down their lives on the battlefield for their nations, but hardly a person can be found who has given up all his property and his accumulated wealth in charity to a person worthy of the gift. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (17.20) :

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate ’nupakāriṇe deśe kāle ca pātre ca tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam

“That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness.” Thus charity given in the proper place is called sāttvika. And above this charity in goodness is transcendental charity, in which everything is sacrificed for the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vāmanadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had come to Bali Mahārāja for alms. How could one get such an opportunity to give charity? Therefore, Bali Mahārāja decided without hesitation to give the Lord whatever He wanted. One may get various opportunities to lay down his life on the battlefield, but such an opportunity as this is hardly ever obtained.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O best of the brāhmaṇas! Many men have laid down their lives on the battlefield, fearless in fighting, but rarely has one obtained the chance to give his accumulated wealth when there is an opportunity for giving. Those who do not refuse giving in charity become more famous than those who do not refuse battle. Tīrthe means “in giving.” It is more difficult to give up wealth than to give up one’s body. Therefore I should give up wealth.
Many die on battlefields, but rarely does one get to give all accumulated wealth faithfully to a saint who creates holy places. Giving to the right person at the right time is rarer than dying bravely. Battlefield courage is more common than charity-courage.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I admire battlefield courage while neglecting the rarer giving-courage I am called to?
  • Who is the 'right person' in my life to whom giving would be sāttvika charity?
📝 My note

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