FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.52

దేహాత్మవాదినాం పుంసామపి రాజన్యసత్తమ । యథా దేహ: ప్రియతమస్తథా న హ్యను యే చ తమ్ ॥ ౫౨ ॥
dehātma-vādināṁ puṁsām
[dehaatma-vaadinaam pumsaam]
api rājanya-sattama
[api raajanya-sattama]
yathā dehaḥ priyatamas
[yathaa dehah priyatamas]
tathā na hy anu ye ca tam
[tathaa na hy anu ye cha tam]
deha - ātma - vādinām — who ascribe to the view that the body is the self puṁsām — for persons api — indeed rājanya - sat - tama — O best of kings yathā — as dehaḥ — the body priya - tamaḥ — most dear tathā — thus na — not hi — certainly anu — relative ye — which things ca — and tam — to that .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dehātma-vādināṁ puṁsām
deha - ātma - vādinām
who ascribe to the view that the body is the self
puṁsām
for persons
api rājanya-sattama
api
indeed
rājanya - sat - tama
O best of kings
yathā dehaḥ priyatamas
yathā
as
dehaḥ
the body
priya - tamaḥ
most dear
tathā
thus
tathā na hy anu ye ca tam
na
not
hi
certainly
anu
relative
ye
which things
ca
and
tam
to that .
  • deha-ātma-vādinām — of those who consider the body to be the self
    Compound: deha (body) + ātman (self) + vādin (one who teaches). The Bhāgavatam's standing pejorative for the conditioned condition. Charvākas, naive materialists, and most conditioned souls. Bhakti requires the rejection of deha-ātma-vāda.
  • priya-tamaḥ — dearest
    Superlative of priya — most dear. The body is most dear to the body-identified. Same word will reappear in verse 54 — ātmā as priya-tama — and there it will be Kṛṣṇa.
  • anu — subordinate to
    Postposition — following, secondary to. Everything in the body-identified life is anu — subordinate to the body. The grammar of dehātma-vāda is hierarchical with the body on top.
  • rājanya-sat-tama — O best among kṣatriyas
    Compound: rājanya (kṣatriya) + sat (best) + -tama (-most). Vocative for Parīkṣit. Śukadeva's appellations escalate — by verse 54 they will become full Vraja-rasa appellations.
  • priya-tamaḥ — most dear
    Superlative — most dear. The body is named priya-tama for the body-identified. Same word will recur in verse 54 as Kṛṣṇa's title — priya-tamaḥ sva-ātmā. The chapter's deliberate word-reuse: today's priya-tama-body becomes tomorrow's priya-tama-ātmā = Kṛṣṇa.
Indeed, for persons who think the body is the self, O best of kings, those things whose importance lies only in their relationship to the body are never as dear as the body itself.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Indeed, for persons who think the body is the self, O best of kings, those things whose importance lies only in their relationship to the body are never as dear as the body itself.
Commentary

Fools consider the self to be the body. From their point of view this verse is spoken. The attachment of such persons for their own body (self) is more than for sons, wealth and house.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Dehātma-vādinām refers to those people who are extremely undiscriminating, thinking the body to be the self. Even they, however, take the self as most dear. By identifying the self with the body, the body becomes dearest. Hi means “certainly.” Ca means “but.” O best of kings! Those kings who think the body is the self are not good. Those who understand the ātmā are good. Those who understand the Lord are better. Those who have affection for Kṛṣṇa alone are the best. Thus you are the best king (rājanya-sattama).

Related values
Dana (Charity / Generosity)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
Concepts
Atma

A man who thinks he is his body treats his body as the temple and everything else as offering. His wife, children, wealth are secondary to the body that consumes them. Brutally honest sociology — Śukadeva strips the conventional family-love down to its real engine. Then verse 55 will replace the body with Kṛṣṇa, and the same engine will run pure.

📝 My note

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