Canto 10: The Summum BonumChapter 14: Brahma's Prayers to Lord Krsna

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.51

tad rajendra yatha snehah

sva-svakatmani dehinam

na tatha mamatalambi-

putra-vitta-grhadisu

SYNONYMS

tat -- therefore; raja-indra -- O best of kings; yatha -- as; snehah -- the affection; sva-svaka -- of each individual; atmani -- for the self; dehinam -- of the embodied beings; na -- not; tatha -- thus; mamata-alambi -- for that which one identifies with as his possessions; putra -- sons; vitta -- wealth; grha -- homes; adisu -- and so on.

TRANSLATION

For this reason, O best of kings, the embodied soul is self-centered: he is more attached to his own body and self than to his so-called possessions like children, wealth and home.

PURPORT

It is now common practice all over the world for a mother to kill her own child within the womb if the birth of that child represents any inconvenience for her. Similarly, grown children eagerly place their elderly parents in lonely institutions rather than be inconvenienced by their presence at home. These and innumerable other examples prove that people in general are more attached to their own body and self, which represent "I-ness," than to their family and other possessions, which represent "my-ness." Although conditioned souls are very proud of their so-called love for society, family and so forth, in reality every conditioned soul is acting on the platform of gross or subtle selfishness.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari