FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.6.48

एवं गृहेष्वभिरतो विषयान् विविधै: सुखै: । सेवमानो न चातुष्यदाज्यस्तोकैरिवानल: ॥ ४८ ॥
evaṁ gṛheṣv abhirato
[evam griheshv abhirato]
viṣayān vividhaiḥ sukhaiḥ
[vishayaan vividhaih sukhaih]
sevamāno na cātuṣyad
[sevamaano na chaatushyad]
ājya-stokair ivānalaḥ
[aajya-stokair ivaanalah]
evam — in this way gṛheṣu — in household affairs abhirataḥ — being always engaged viṣayān — material paraphernalia vividhaiḥ — with varieties of sukhaiḥ — happiness sevamānaḥ — enjoying na — not ca — also atuṣyat — satisfied him ājya-stokaiḥ — by drops of fat iva — like analaḥ — a fire.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
evaṁ gṛheṣv abhirato
evam
in this way
gṛheṣu
in household affairs
abhirataḥ
being always engaged
viṣayān vividhaiḥ sukhaiḥ
viṣayān
material paraphernalia
vividhaiḥ
with varieties of
sukhaiḥ
happiness
sevamāno na cātuṣyad
sevamānaḥ
enjoying
na
not
ca
also
atuṣyat
satisfied him
ājya-stokair ivānalaḥ
ājya-stokaiḥ
by drops of fat
iva
like
analaḥ
a fire.
In this way, Saubhari Muni enjoyed sense gratification in the material world, but he was not at all satisfied, just as a fire never ceases blazing if constantly supplied with drops of fat.

Material desire is just like a blazing fire. If a fire is continually supplied with drops of fat, the fire will increase more and more and never be extinguished. Therefore the policy of trying to satisfy material desires by catering to one’s material demands will never be successful. In modern civilization, everyone is engaged in economic development, which is another way of constantly dropping fat into the material fire. The Western countries have reached the summit of material civilization, but people are still dissatisfied. Real satisfaction is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29) , where Kṛṣṇa says:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

“The sages who knows Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.” One must therefore take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by properly following the regulative principles. Then one can attain an eternal, blissful life in peace and knowledge.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In this way, Saubhari, attached to family life, enjoyed sense objects by various types of happiness, but he was not at all satisfied, just as a fire never ceases to blaze if constantly supplied with drops of ghee. Stokaiḥ means “by drops.”
Sense gratification is a fire that grows with feeding, never sated. The very engine of modern life — endless economic improvement — is just more drops of fat on this same flame.
Reflection Questions
  • Where in my budget or schedule am I dropping fat on this fire and calling it 'progress'?
  • What does enough actually look like for me, and have I named it specifically?
📝 My note

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