FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.17.20

గుణప్రవాహ ఏతస్మిన్ క: శాప: కో న్వనుగ్రహ: । క: స్వర్గో నరక: కో వా కిం సుఖం దు:ఖమేవ వా ॥ ౨౦ ॥
guṇa-pravāha etasmin
[guna-pravaaha etasmin]
kaḥ śāpaḥ ko nv anugrahaḥ
[kah shaapah ko nv anugrahah]
kaḥ svargo narakaḥ ko vā
[kah svargo narakah ko vaa]
kiṁ sukhaṁ duḥkham eva vā
[kim sukham duhkham eva vaa]
guṇa-pravāhe — in the current of the modes of material nature etasmin — this kaḥ — what śāpaḥ — a curse kaḥ — what nu — indeed anugrahaḥ — a favor kaḥ — what svargaḥ — elevation to heavenly planets narakaḥ — hell kaḥ — what vā — or kim — what sukham — happiness duḥkham — distress eva — indeed vā — or.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
guṇa-pravāha etasmin
guṇa-pravāhe
in the current of the modes of material nature
etasmin
this
kaḥ śāpaḥ ko nv anugrahaḥ
kaḥ
what
śāpaḥ
a curse
kaḥ svargo narakaḥ ko vā
kaḥ
what
nu
indeed
anugrahaḥ
a favor
kaḥ
what
svargaḥ
elevation to heavenly planets
narakaḥ
hell
kaḥ
what
vā
or
kiṁ sukhaṁ duḥkham eva vā
kim
what
sukham
happiness
duḥkham
distress
eva
indeed
vā
or.
This material world resembles the waves of a constantly flowing river. Therefore, what is a curse and what is a favor? What are the heavenly planets, and what are the hellish planets? What is actually happiness, and what is actually distress? Because the waves flow constantly, none of them has an eternal effect.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings, (miche) māyāra vaśe, yāccha bhese’, khāccha hābuḍubu, bhāi: “My dear living entities within this material world, why are you being carried away by the waves of the modes of material nature?” (Jīva) kṛṣṇa-dāsa, ei viśvāsa, karle ta’ āra duḥkha nāi: “If the living entity tries to understand that he is an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, there will no longer be misery for him.” Kṛṣṇa wants us to give up all other engagements and surrender unto Him. If we do so, where will the cause and effect of this material world be? There is nothing like cause and effect for the surrendered soul. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says in this regard that being put into this material world is like being thrown into a mine of salt. If one falls into a mine of salt, he tastes only salt wherever he goes. Similarly, this material world is full of miseries. The so-called temporary happiness of the world is also misery, but in ignorance we cannot understand this. That is the actual position. When one comes to his senses — when he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious — he is no longer concerned with the various conditions of this material world. He is not concerned with happiness or distress, curses or favors, or heavenly or hellish planets. He sees no distinction between them.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In the river of the guṇas what is a curse and what is a blessing, what is Svarga and hell, and what is happiness and sorrow? It has been said that one should accept happiness and distress. Everything that falls into a salt mine becomes salty. Thus, everything that falls into saṁsāra becomes saṁsāra. One should not make distinctions of happiness and suffering at all. As long as person who has fallen into a bottomless river does not reach the shore, he cannot attain real happiness. Thus curses, blessings, are all suffering as long as we are in this world.
📝 My note

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