FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.60.52

యే మాం భజన్తి దామ్పత్యే తపసా వ్రతచర్యయా । కామాత్మానోఽపవర్గేశం మోహితా మమ మాయయా ॥ ౫౨ ॥
ye māṁ bhajanti dāmpatye
[ye maam bhajanti daampatye]
tapasā vrata-caryayā
[tapasaa vrata-charyayaa]
kāmātmāno ’pavargeśaṁ
[kaamaatmaano ’pavargesham]
mohitā mama māyayā
[mohitaa mama maayayaa]
ye — those who mām — Me bhajanti — worship dāmpatye — for status in household life tapasā — by penances vrata — of vows caryayā — and by the execution kāma - ātmānaḥ — lusty by nature apavarga — of liberation īśam — the controller mohitāḥ — bewildered mama — My māyayā — by the illusory, material energy .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ye māṁ bhajanti dāmpatye
ye
those who
mām
Me
bhajanti
worship
dāmpatye
for status in household life
tapasā vrata-caryayā
tapasā
by penances
vrata
of vows
caryayā
and by the execution
kāmātmāno ’pavargeśaṁ
kāma - ātmānaḥ
lusty by nature
apavarga
of liberation
īśam
the controller
mohitā mama māyayā
mohitāḥ
bewildered
mama
My
māyayā
by the illusory, material energy .
  • kāma-ātmānaḥ — lusty by nature
    Compound: kāma (desire) + ātman (self). Their very selves are made of kāma. Cf. BG 16.10–13 (the demoniac whose self is kāma). Gauḍīyas distinguish kāma-bhakti (using bhakti for kāma) from the akāma-bhakti the previous verses praised.
  • apavarga-īśam — the controller of liberation
    Compound: apavarga (liberation) + īśa (controller). Bhagavān is the Lord of mokṣa itself — He gives or withholds it. Asking Him for mere household pleasure is asking the Emperor for a coin. Gauḍīyas read it as kṛpaṇa-bhāva, the miser-mood of bhakti.
  • mohitāḥ — bewildered
    Past participle of √muh. Their bewilderment is by māyā — His own illusory potency. He acknowledges that He Himself, via māyā, occasions their misdirected requests. Acintya-bhedābheda at work: the Lord's energy and the Lord are one and different.
  • māyayā — by the illusory, material energy
    Instrumental of māyā. Mahā-māyā in her bewildering aspect. Gauḍīyas hold that yoga-māyā serves Bhagavān's līlā and mahā-māyā bewilders the conditioned soul; both are His śaktis. Here the bewildered worshipers are caught by the latter.
Although I have the power to award spiritual liberation, lusty persons worship Me with penance and vows in order to get My blessings for their mundane family life. Such persons are bewildered by My illusory energy.

The word dāmpatye indicates the relationship between husband and wife. Lusty and bewildered persons worship the Supreme Lord to enhance this relationship, though they know He can free them from their useless attachment to temporary things.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Although I have the power to award spiritual liberation, lusty persons worship Me with penance and vows in order to get My blessings for their mundane family life. Such persons are bewildered by My illusory energy.
Commentary

In this verse he condemns the materialistic devotees. Those who for the sake of the household (dampatye), for enjoyment of happiness in material marriage, with prayers like "May my husband give me happiness" or "May my wife give me happiness" worship me, the giver of prema (apavargesa --this meaning is given in the fifth canto) , by doing austerities , are bewildered by maya. Another meaning of apavargesa is " the lord who makes the four material goals useless."

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

Having praised her devotion filled with love for him as a husband, in order to emphasize this, he criticizes materialists who worship him for their love in the material world. He criticizes the purpose of household life of both husband and wife. Couples who worship me by repeatedly performing vratas and austerities according to their sva-dharma with great attachment, with hearts absorbed in material enjoyment (kāmātmānaḥ), are completely bewildered by my māyā, though I am the giver of prema (apavarga īśam). This refers to what was said about the Lord in his special manifestation in Ketumāla-varṣa: striyo vratais tvā hṛṣīkeśvaraṁ svato hy ārādhya loke patim āśāsate ’nyam tāsāṁ na te vai paripānty apatyaṁ priyaṁ dhanāyūṁṣi yato ’sva-tantrāḥ Worshipping you, Hṛṣīkeśa, the natural controller of the senses, by performing vows, women in this world ask for a husband other than you. The husbands cannot protect their children, wealth or duration of life because they are dependent. sa vai patiḥ syād akutobhayaḥ svayaṁ samantataḥ pāti bhayāturaṁ janam sa eka evetarathā mitho bhayaṁ naivātmalābhād adhi manyate param Since the Lord by nature has no fear, he protects all persons. He alone should be the husband. Otherwise there is mutual fear. The wise do not accept anything better than attaining you. yā tasya te pāda-saroruhārhaṇaṁ nikāmayet sākhila-kāma-lampaṭā tad eva rāsīpsitam īpsito ’rcito yad-bhagna-yācṣā bhagavan pratapyate O Lord! The woman who desires to worship your lotus feet has all her desires fulfilled. You also give the result to a woman who worships with a material desire, because when the result is finished, she will suffer. SB 5.18.19-21

Related values
Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Brahmacharya (Self-discipline / Restraint)
Related verses
Concepts
Dharma

A king who can grant kingdoms is asked instead for trinkets — lusty worshipers pile up tapas and vows to extract household pleasures from the Liberator. The transaction is real; the discount is staggering. The mistake is theirs, not the Lord's.

📝 My note

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