FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.84.64

మా రాజ్యశ్రీరభూత్ పుంస: శ్రేయస్కామస్య మానద । స్వజనానుత బన్ధూన్ వా న పశ్యతి యయాన్ధద‍ృక్ ॥ ౬౪ ॥
mā rājya-śrīr abhūt puṁsaḥ
[maa raajya-shreer abhoot pumsah]
śreyas-kāmasya māna-da
[shreyas-kaamasya maana-da]
sva-janān uta bandhūn vā
[sva-janaan uta bandhoon vaa]
na paśyati yayāndha-dṛk
[na pashyati yayaandha-drik]
mā — may not rājya — royal śrīḥ — fortune abhūt — arise puṁsaḥ — for a person śreyaḥ — the real benefit of life kāmasya — who desires māna - da — O giver of respect sva - janān — his kinsmen uta — even bandhūn — his friends vā — or na paśyati — he does not see yayā — by which (opulence) andha — blinded dṛk — whose vision .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mā rājya-śrīr abhūt puṁsaḥ
mā
may not
rājya
royal
śrīḥ
fortune
abhūt
arise
puṁsaḥ
for a person
śreyas-kāmasya māna-da
śreyaḥ
the real benefit of life
kāmasya
who desires
māna - da
O giver of respect
sva-janān uta bandhūn vā
sva - janān
his kinsmen
uta
even
bandhūn
his friends
vā
or
na paśyati yayāndha-dṛk
na paśyati
he does not see
yayā
by which (opulence)
andha
blinded
dṛk
whose vision .
  • rājya-śrīḥ — royal opulence
    rāja + śrī. Kingly fortune. Gauḍīyas note that even śrī, when modified by rāja, becomes dangerous — the same Lakṣmī who is Bhagavān's consort can be the very veil that hides Bhagavān from the worldly king.
  • māna-da — O giver of respect
    māna (respect) + da (giver). Address to Nanda. Gauḍīyas note that Vasudeva calls Nanda the māna-da — the one who gives respect to others. The address acknowledges Nanda's superior dharmic register even as Vasudeva delivers the harsh self-diagnosis.
  • andha-dṛk — whose vision is blinded
    andha (blind) + dṛś (vision). The same root the earlier verses used (verse 23, javanikā āchanna). Gauḍīyas read it as the standing description of conditioned vision: not just unseeing but actively obstructed.
  • sva-janān — his kinsmen
    sva (own) + jana (person). One's own people. Paired in the verse with bandhūn — escalating from blood relation to chosen relation. Gauḍīyas read the verse's diagnosis: wealth blinds the rich man to both registers.
O most respectful one, may a person who wants the highest benefit in life never gain kingly opulence, for it leaves him blind to the needs of his own family and friends.

It is, of course, out of his deep humility that Vasudeva is berating himself, but his condemnation of opulence is in general valid. Earlier in this canto Nārada Muni delivered a stinging criticism of Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva, two wealthy sons of Kuvera, the treasurer of heaven. Intoxicated by both pride and liquor, the two had failed to offer proper respects to Nārada when he happened upon them as they sported naked in the Mandākinī River with some young women. Seeing them in their shameful condition, Nārada said, na hy anyo juṣato joṣyān buddhi-bhraṁśo rajo-guṇaḥ śrī-madād ābhijātyādir yatra strī dyūtam āsavaḥ “Among all the attractions of material enjoyment, the attraction of riches bewilders one’s intelligence more than having beautiful bodily features, taking birth in an aristocratic family, and being learned. When one is uneducated but falsely puffed up by wealth, the result is that one engages his wealth in enjoying wine, women and gambling.” ( Bhāg. 10.10.8 )

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O most respectful one, may a person who wants the highest benefit in life never gain kingly opulence, for it leaves him blind to the needs of his own family and friends.
Commentary

A person should not (ma abhut) obtain wealth and kingdom. The addition of " a" in abhut is poetic license. Putting Nanda into the ocean of great humility by his praises, Vasudeva also became submerged in humility as indicated by his words.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

O Nanda who respects others (māna-da)! Even having wealth, you give respect to others. You deserve wealth.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

The person who desires the highest auspiciousness in this and next life should not attain kingly wealth. He does not see even (uta) relatives or even friends (vā). The word vā indicates that friends are superior to relatives. Even having wealth, you give respect to others. You deserve wealth.

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)
Related verses

Vasudeva closes the speech with a wish his own life argues for: may no one who seeks the highest good ever receive rāja-śrī. The throne blinds the king to his own family. Better, he says, to be without it, since wealth and the eye for one's own people seem to be incompatible.

Bali Mahārāja losing the kingdom

Bali Mahārāja, in SB 8.16–22, loses his three worlds to Vāmana-deva's three steps — and considers it the greatest gain of his life. The kingdom that obstructs surrender is well-lost.

Gauḍīyas read Vasudeva's wish here as continuous with Bali's gratitude: rāja-śrī, when it veils sva-jana, is something a Vaiṣṇava should ask not to receive.

📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 84