Canto 11: General HistoryChapter 19: The Perfection of Spiritual Knowledge

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.19.28-32

śrī-uddhava uvāca

yamaḥ kati-vidhaḥ prokto

niyamo vāri-karṣaṇa

kaḥ śamaḥ ko damaḥ kṛṣṇa

kā titikṣā dhṛtiḥ prabho

kiḿ dānaḿ kiḿ tapaḥ śauryaḿ

kim satyam ṛtam ucyate

kas tyāgaḥ kiḿ dhanaḿ ceṣṭaḿ

ko yajñaḥ kā ca dakṣiṇā

puḿsaḥ kiḿ svid balaḿ śrīman

bhago lābhaś ca keśava

kā vidyā hrīḥ parā kā śrīḥ

kiḿ sukhaḿ duḥkham eva ca

kaḥ paṇḍitaḥ kaś ca mūrkhaḥ

kaḥ panthā utpathaś ca kaḥ

kaḥ svargo narakaḥ kaḥ svit

ko bandhur uta kiḿ gṛham

ka āḍhyaḥ ko daridro vā

kṛpaṇaḥ kaḥ ka īśvaraḥ

etān praśnān mama brūhi

viparītāḿś ca sat-pate

SYNONYMS

śrī-uddhavaḥ uvācaŚrī Uddhava said; yamaḥ — disciplinary regulations; kati-vidhaḥ — how many different types; proktaḥare declared to exist; niyamaḥ — regular daily duties; — or; ari-karṣaṇaO Kṛṣṇa, subduer of the enemy; kaḥ — what is; śamaḥ — mental equilibrium; kaḥ — what is; damaḥ — self-control; kṛṣṇa — my dear Kṛṣṇa; — what is; titikṣā — tolerance; dhṛtiḥ — steadfastness; prabho — my Lord; kim — what is; dānam — charity; kim — what is; tapaḥ — austerity; śauryam — heroism; kim — what is; satyam — reality; ṛtam — truth; ucyate — is said; kaḥ — what is; tyāgaḥ — renunciation; kim — what is; dhanam — wealth; ca — also; iṣṭam — desirable; kaḥ — what is; yajñaḥ — sacrifice; — what is; ca — also; dakṣiṇā — religious remuneration; puḿsaḥ — of a person; kim — what is; svit — indeed; balam — strength; śrī-manO most fortunate Kṛṣṇa; bhagaḥ — opulence; lābhaḥ — profit; ca — also; keśava — my dear Keśava; — what is; vidyā — education; hrīḥ — humility; parā — supreme; — what is; śrīḥ — beauty; kim — what is; sukham — happiness; duḥkham — unhappiness; eva — indeed; ca — also; kaḥ — who is; paṇḍitaḥ — learned; kaḥ — who is; ca — also; mūrkhaḥa fool; kaḥ — what is; panthāḥ — the real path; utpathaḥ — the false path; ca — also; kaḥ — what is; kaḥ — what is; svargaḥ — heaven; narakaḥ — hell; kaḥ — what is; svit — indeed; kaḥ — who is; bandhuḥa friend; uta — and; kim — what is; gṛham — home; kaḥ — who is; āḍhyaḥ — wealthy; kaḥ — who is; daridraḥ — poor; — or; kṛpaṇaḥa miser; kaḥ — who is; kaḥ — who is; īśvaraḥa controller; etān — these; praśnān — subject matters of inquiry; mamato me; brūhi — please speak; viparītān — the opposite qualities; ca — also; sat-pateO Lord of the devotees.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, O chastiser of the enemies, please tell me how many types of disciplinary regulations and regular daily duties there are. Also, my Lord, tell me what is mental equilibrium, what is self-control, and what is the actual meaning of tolerance and steadfastness. What are charity, austerity and heroism, and how are reality and truth to he described? What is renunciation, and what is wealth? What is desirable, what is sacrifice, and what is religious remuneration? My dear Keśava, O most fortunate one, how am I to understand the strength, opulence and profit of a particular person? What is the best education, what is actual humility, and what is real beauty? What are happiness and unhappiness? Who is learned, and who is a fool? What are the true and the false paths in life, and what are heaven and hell? Who is indeed a true friend, and what is one's real home? Who is a rich man, and who is a poor man? Who is wretched, and who is an actual controller? O Lord of the devotees, kindly explain these matters to me, along with their opposites.

PURPORT

All of the items mentioned in these five verses are defined in different ways by different cultures and societies throughout the world. Therefore, Śrī Uddhava is directly approaching the supreme authority, Lord Kṛṣṇa, to obtain the standard definition for these universal aspects of civilized life.

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