Canto 11: General HistoryChapter 18: Description of Varṇāśrama-dharma

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.18.10

yas tv etat kṛcchrataś cīrṇaḿ

tapo niḥśreyasaḿ mahat

kāmāyālpīyase yuñjyād

bāliśaḥ ko 'paras tataḥ

SYNONYMS

yaḥ — one who; tu — indeed; etat — this; kṛcchrataḥ — with great penance; cīrṇam — for a long time; tapaḥ — austerity; niḥśreyasam — awarding ultimate liberation; mahat — glorious; kāmāya — for sense gratification; alpīyase — insignificant; yuñjyāt — practices; bāliśaḥ — such a fool; kaḥ — who; aparaḥ — else; tataḥ — besides him.

TRANSLATION

One who with long endeavor executes this painful but exalted penance, which awards ultimate liberation, simply to achieve insignificant sense gratification must be considered the greatest fool.

PURPORT

Although the process of vānaprastha described by Lord Kṛṣṇa is so glorious that even the consolation prize is promotion to Maharloka, one who consciously performs this process for such promotion to heaven is certainly the greatest fool. The Lord does not want this process to be abused or exploited by materialistic rascals, for the ultimate goal is love of Godhead.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
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