FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.13.8

శ్రీఉద్ధవ ఉవాచ విదన్తి మర్త్యా: ప్రాయేణ విషయాన్ పదమాపదామ్ । తథాపి భుఞ్జతే కృష్ణ తత్కథం శ్వఖరాజవత్ ॥ ౮ ॥
śrī-uddhava uvāca
[shree-uddhava uvaacha]
vidanti martyāḥ prāyeṇa
[vidanti martyaah praayena]
viṣayān padam āpadām
[vishayaan padam aapadaam]
tathāpi bhuṣjate kṛṣṇa
[tathaapi bhushjate krishna]
tat kathaṁ śva-kharāja-vat
[tat katham shva-kharaaja-vat]
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said vidanti — they know martyāḥ — human beings prāyeṇa — generally viṣayān — sense gratification padam — a situation āpadām — of many miserable conditions tathā api — even so bhuṣjate — they enjoy kṛṣṇa — O Kṛṣṇa tat — such sense gratification katham — how is it possible śva — dogs khara — asses aja — and goats vat — just like.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-uddhava uvāca
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca
Śrī Uddhava said
vidanti martyāḥ prāyeṇa
vidanti
they know
martyāḥ
human beings
prāyeṇa
generally
viṣayān padam āpadām
viṣayān
sense gratification
padam
a situation
āpadām
of many miserable conditions
tathāpi bhuṣjate kṛṣṇa
tathā api
even so
bhuṣjate
they enjoy
kṛṣṇa
O Kṛṣṇa
tat kathaṁ śva-kharāja-vat
tat
such sense gratification
katham
how is it possible
śva
dogs
khara
asses
aja
and goats
vat
just like.
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Kṛṣṇa, generally human beings know that material life brings great future unhappiness, and still they try to enjoy material life. My dear Lord, how can one in knowledge act just like a dog, an ass or a goat?

The standard methods of enjoyment in the material world are sex, money and false prestige, all of which are obtained with great suffering and eventually lost. One engaged in material life suffers in the present and has only a very bleak future to look forward to in the continuing cycle of birth and death. Thus, how can human beings who have seen these things and know them very well continue to enjoy life like dogs, asses and goats? Often a dog will approach a bitch for sex, but the lady dog may not be attracted and will show her teeth, snarl and threaten the poor dog with serious injury. Still he goes about his business trying to get a little sex pleasure. Similarly, many times a dog risks being beaten or shot while stealing some food in a place where he knows he should not go. The ass is very attracted to the she-ass, but the lady ass often kicks him in the legs. Similarly, the ass’s master gives the ass a handful of grass, which the poor ass could get anywhere, and then burdens him with great loads. The goat is generally raised for slaughter, and even when the goat is brought into the slaughterhouse he shamelessly goes after the lady goat to get sex pleasure. In this way, even at the risk of being shot, bitten, beaten and slaughtered, animals persist in their foolish sense gratification. How can an educated human being commit himself to such a condemned way of life, wherein the result is practically the same as that of the animals? If by cultivating the mode of goodness one’s life is filled with happiness, enlightenment and future rewards, why would anyone cultivate the modes of passion and ignorance? This is Uddhava’s question.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Uddhava said: O Kṛṣṇa! Generally human beings know that material life brings great future unhappiness, and still they try to enjoy material life. How can a person in knowledge enjoy just like a dog, an ass or a goat? “Those who do not know enjoy material life. But even those who know that one can attain their goals by employing sattva, still enjoy material life” They enjoy just as a dog, though scolded, eats leftovers, just as a donkey though kicked, enjoys a female donkey, and just as the goat, though about to be killed, enjoys the grass.
📝 My note

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