FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.23.27

ప్రాణబుద్ధిమన:స్వాత్మదారాపత్యధనాదయ: । యత్సమ్పర్కాత్ప్రియా ఆసంస్తత: కో న్వపర: ప్రియ: ॥ ౨౭ ॥
prāṇa-buddhi-manaḥ-svātma
[praana-buddhi-manah-svaatma]
dārāpatya-dhanādayaḥ
[daaraapatya-dhanaadayah]
yat-samparkāt priyā āsaṁs
[yat-samparkaat priyaa aasams]
tataḥ ko nv aparaḥ priyaḥ
[tatah ko nv aparah priyah]
prāṇa — one’s vital force buddhi — intelligence manaḥ — mind sva — relatives ātma — body dāra — wife apatya — children dhana — wealth ādayaḥ — and so forth yat — with which (self) samparkāt — because of contact priyāḥ — dear āsan — have become tataḥ — than that kaḥ — what nu — indeed aparaḥ — other priyaḥ — dear object .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
prāṇa-buddhi-manaḥ-svātma
prāṇa
one’s vital force
buddhi
intelligence
manaḥ
mind
sva
relatives
ātma
body
dārāpatya-dhanādayaḥ
dāra
wife
apatya
children
dhana
wealth
ādayaḥ
and so forth
yat-samparkāt priyā āsaṁs
yat
with which (self)
samparkāt
because of contact
priyāḥ
dear
āsan
have become
tataḥ ko nv aparaḥ priyaḥ
tataḥ
than that
kaḥ
what
nu
indeed
aparaḥ
other
priyaḥ
dear object .
  • samparkāt — because of contact
    Ablative — 'due to association.' Things become dear only by their contact with the self. The verse is preparing the inference: contact with Kṛṣṇa is what makes the self itself dear.
  • dāra-apatya — wife and children
    Compound: dāra (wife) + apatya (children). The two great hooks of gṛhastha-life are named — and named only to be put in their secondary place. Kṛṣṇa is not anti-family; He is anti-mis-prioritization.
  • priyāḥ — dear
    From √prī — dearness. The whole verse turns on this word: the things called priya derive their priyatā from a deeper priya. Bhakti's logic is the genealogy of dearness.
  • aparaḥ-priyaḥ — other dear object
    Compound: aparaḥ (other) + priyaḥ (dear). The rhetorical climax: kaḥ nu — 'who indeed?' could be more dear than the source from which all dearness flows. The wives' answer is silent and obvious.
It is only by contact with the self that one’s vital breath, intelligence, mind, friends, body, wife, children, wealth and so on are dear. Therefore what object can possibly be more dear than one’s own self?

The word yat-samparkāt in this verse refers to contact with the individual self and ultimately with the Supreme Self, the Lord, who is the origin of the individual living being. By developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one automatically becomes self-realized, and thus one’s vital strength, intelligence, mind, relatives, body, family and wealth all become enhanced and brilliant by the central influence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This happens because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the optimum efficient conjunction of the individual self, who is pure consciousness, with the Supreme Self and supreme consciousness, Kṛṣṇa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
It is only by contact with the self that one's vital breath, intelligence, mind, friends, body, wife, children, wealth and so on are dear. Therefore what object can possibly be more dear than one's own self?
Commentary

To let the intelligence operate he introduces the example. "But actually I, the paramatma, the inner seer, am more dear than body, sons, husband and family." Using logic he sobers the brahmanas’ wives. "Because (yat) of relationship (samparkat) with the paramatma, prana, buddhi, mana, body (sva), and soul, wife, children and wealth become dear. What is more dear than the paramatma (tatah)."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Here he shows that Paramātmā is dearer than the self. Prāṇa, mind, intelligence, jīva etc. are dear because of contact with Paramātmā, an aṁśa of me.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

To show that Paramātmā is dearest he shows the dearness of the ātmā first. This is Śridhara Svāmī’s meaning. Or this verse shows that Paramātmā is dearer that the ātmā. Prāṇa and other items having a relationship with me are dear. Ādayaḥ means relatives, friends, house, land and animals.

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Prema (Divine Love)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Nyaya (Justice / Righteous Judgment)Mardava (Gentleness)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Udyama (Industriousness / Effort)
Related verses
Concepts
Jiva

A man treasures the lamp because of its flame; if the flame were gone, the brass would be junk. Body, wife, children, wealth are dear because of the ātmā that lights them — and the ātmā is dear because of Bhagavān who lights it.

📝 My note

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