FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.9.43

न मे ब्रह्मकुलात् प्राणा: कुलदैवान्न चात्मजा: । न श्रियो न मही राज्यं न दाराश्चातिवल्लभा: ॥ ४३ ॥
na me brahma-kulāt prāṇāḥ
[na me brahma-kulaat praanaah]
kula-daivān na cātmajāḥ
[kula-daivaan na chaatmajaah]
na śriyo na mahī rājyaṁ
[na shriyo na mahee raajyam]
na dārāś cātivallabhāḥ
[na daaraash chaativallabhaah]
na — not me — my brahma-kulāt — than the groups of brāhmaṇas prāṇāḥ — life kula-daivāt — than the personalities worshipable for my family na — not ca — also ātmajāḥ — sons and daughters na — nor śriyaḥ — opulence na — nor mahī — the earth rājyam — kingdom na — nor dārāḥ — wife ca — also ati-vallabhāḥ — extremely dear.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na me brahma-kulāt prāṇāḥ
na
not
me
my
brahma-kulāt
than the groups of brāhmaṇas
prāṇāḥ
life
kula-daivān na cātmajāḥ
kula-daivāt
than the personalities worshipable for my family
na
not
ca
also
ātmajāḥ
sons and daughters
na śriyo na mahī rājyaṁ
na
nor
śriyaḥ
opulence
na
nor
mahī
the earth
rājyam
kingdom
na dārāś cātivallabhāḥ
na
nor
dārāḥ
wife
ca
also
ati-vallabhāḥ
extremely dear.
Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga thought: Not even my life is dearer to me than the brahminical culture and the brāhmaṇas, who are worshiped by my family. What then is to be said of my kingdom, land, wife, children and opulence? Nothing is dearer to me than the brāhmaṇas.

Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga, being in favor of the brahminical culture, wanted to utilize one moment’s time by fully surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is worshiped with this prayer:

namo brāhmaṇya-devāya go brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ

“I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, who is the well-wisher of the cows and the brāhmaṇas as well as the living entities in general. I offer my repeated obeisances to Govinda, who is the pleasure reservoir for all the senses.” A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is very much attached to brahminical culture. Indeed, an expert personality who knows who Kṛṣṇa is and what He wants is a real brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ . Kṛṣṇa is the Parabrahman, and therefore all Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, or devotees of Kṛṣṇa, are exalted brāhmaṇas. Khaṭvāṅga Mahārāja regarded the devotees of Kṛṣṇa as the real brāhmaṇas and the real light for human society. One who desires to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and spiritual understanding must give the utmost importance to brahminical culture and must understand Kṛṣṇa ( kṛṣṇāya govindāya ). Then his life will be successful.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga thought: My life is not as dear to me as the brāhmaṇas, who are worshiped by my family. My kingdom, land, wife, children and wealth are not dear to me. Within that moment, he first thought to himself. That is described in five verses. Nothing is dear to me like the brāhmaṇa family, which is the deity of my family.
Khaṭvāṅga values brahminical culture and brāhmaṇas more than his own life, kingdom, wife, or children. Knowing what we love more than life itself clarifies every other priority in an instant.
Reflection Questions
  • What do I genuinely love more than my own life, and does it deserve that rank?
  • How would my budget, calendar, or attention change if my real priority became visible?
📝 My note

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