FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.22.35

ఏతావజ్జన్మసాఫల్యం దేహినామిహ దేహిషు । ప్రాణైరర్థైర్ధియా వాచా శ్రేయఆచరణం సదా ॥ ౩౫ ॥
etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ
[etaavaj janma-saaphalyam]
dehinām iha dehiṣu
[dehinaam iha dehishu]
prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā
[praanair arthair dhiyaa vaachaa]
śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā
[shreya-aacharanam sadaa]
etāvat — up to this janma — of birth sāphalyam — perfection dehinām — of every living being iha — in this world dehiṣu — toward those who are embodied prāṇaiḥ — by life arthaiḥ — by wealth dhiyā — by intelligence vācā — by words śreyaḥ — eternal good fortune ācaraṇam — acting practically sadā — always .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ
etāvat
up to this
janma
of birth
sāphalyam
perfection
dehinām iha dehiṣu
dehinām
of every living being
iha
in this world
dehiṣu
toward those who are embodied
prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā
prāṇaiḥ
by life
arthaiḥ
by wealth
dhiyā
by intelligence
vācā
by words
śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā
śreyaḥ
eternal good fortune
ācaraṇam
acting practically
sadā
always .
  • sāphalyam — perfection
    From sa-phala — bearing fruit, fruitful. Janma-sāphalya = the bearing-fruit of birth. The Gauḍīya question 'what makes human birth fruitful?' is here answered by Kṛṣṇa Himself: śreyas-ācaraṇa for others.
  • prāṇaiḥ arthaiḥ dhiyā vācā — by life, by wealth, by intelligence, by words
    Instrumental quartet: prāṇa (life-breath) + artha (wealth) + dhī (intelligence) + vāc (speech). The four resources of a human being. Vaiṣṇava ethics covers all four; partial offering is partial sāphalya.
  • śreyaḥ — eternal good fortune
    From √śri (to be exalted). Śreyas is the higher good — eternal welfare — as opposed to preyas (immediate pleasure). The Kaṭha Upaniṣad's central distinction (1.2.1–2). Kṛṣṇa names śreyas as the only worthy aim of action toward others.
  • ācaraṇam — acting practically
    From ā-√car (to practice). Not theorizing, not sentiment — ācaraṇa, embodied practice. The Bhāgavatam pattern: dharma must be lived, not merely spoken. Same root as ācārya (one who lives the teaching).
  • sadā — always
    Adverb: always. Not occasional charity — sadā, perpetually. Bhakti's discipline of nirantara — uninterrupted — applies here to welfare-action as well. Caitanya's nāma-saṅkīrtana is precisely sadā-śreyas-ācaraṇa toward all beings.
It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.

This translation is quoted from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi-līlā 9.42).

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.
Commentary

It is the perfection of birth up till now to serve others.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Here the point is made. For beings having various bodies, acts beneficial to others by one’s life airs, wealth, intelligence and words are success in life. Another version has śreya evācaret sadā. Success in life is always performing beneficial for others by life airs etc. “By life airs” means doing acts without consideration for one’s life. “Using intelligence” means “thinking of the best methods.” “Using words” means “giving instructions.” If one cannot give life, then give wealth, if not wealth, then intelligence and if not intelligence, then words.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Asteya (Non-stealing / Honesty)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Brahmacharya (Self-discipline / Restraint)
Related verses

A complete dharma in one line — life, wealth, intelligence, words, all spent for the welfare of others. Caitanya-caritāmṛta will cite this very verse (Ādi 9.42) as the definition of human perfection. The tree-sermon ends with the universal rule: live for śreyas-ācaraṇa toward others.

Caitanya cites this verse for the Bengali Vaiṣṇavas

Caitanya Mahāprabhu quotes this śloka in Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi 9.42 when addressing the Vaiṣṇavas of Bengal: 'It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.'

The instruction Kṛṣṇa speaks to a small circle of cowherd boys in Vṛndāvana becomes, through Mahāprabhu's mouth, the foundational ethic of the saṅkīrtana movement. Gauḍīyas read the chapter as Kṛṣṇa Himself sowing the seed of His own future appearance as Caitanya.

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