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

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 11.19.28-32

sri-uddhava uvaca

yamah kati-vidhah prokto

niyamo vari-karsana

kah samah ko damah krsna

ka titiksa dhrtih prabho

kim danam kim tapah sauryam

kim satyam rtam ucyate

kas tyagah kim dhanam cestam

ko yajnah ka ca daksina

pumsah kim svid balam sriman

bhago labhas ca kesava

ka vidya hrih para ka srih

kim sukham duhkham eva ca

kah panditah kas ca murkhah

kah pantha utpathas ca kah

kah svargo narakah kah svit

ko bandhur uta kim grham

ka adhyah ko daridro va

krpanah kah ka isvarah

etan prasnan mama bruhi

viparitams ca sat-pate

SYNONYMS

sri-uddhavah uvaca -- Sri Uddhava said; yamah -- disciplinary regulations; kati-vidhah -- how many different types; proktah -- are declared to exist; niyamah -- regular daily duties; va -- or; ari-karsana -- O Krsna, subduer of the enemy; kah -- what is; samah -- mental equilibrium; kah -- what is; damah -- self-control; krsna -- my dear Krsna; ka -- what is; titiksa -- tolerance; dhrtih -- steadfastness; prabho -- my Lord; kim -- what is; danam -- charity; kim -- what is; tapah -- austerity; sauryam -- heroism; kim -- what is; satyam -- reality; rtam -- truth; ucyate -- is said; kah -- what is; tyagah -- renunciation; kim -- what is; dhanam -- wealth; ca -- also; istam -- desirable; kah -- what is; yajnah -- sacrifice; ka -- what is; ca -- also; daksina -- religious remuneration; pumsah -- of a person; kim -- what is; svit -- indeed; balam -- strength; sri-man -- O most fortunate Krsna; bhagah -- opulence; labhah -- profit; ca -- also; kesava -- my dear Kesava; ka -- what is; vidya -- education; hrih -- humility; para -- supreme; ka -- what is; srih -- beauty; kim -- what is; sukham -- happiness; duhkham -- unhappiness; eva -- indeed; ca -- also; kah -- who is; panditah -- learned; kah -- who is; ca -- also; murkhah -- a fool; kah -- what is; panthah -- the real path; utpathah -- the false path; ca -- also; kah -- what is; kah -- what is; svargah -- heaven; narakah -- hell; kah -- what is; svit -- indeed; kah -- who is; bandhuh -- a friend; uta -- and; kim -- what is; grham -- home; kah -- who is; adhyah -- wealthy; kah -- who is; daridrah -- poor; va -- or; krpanah -- a miser; kah -- who is; kah -- who is; isvarah -- a controller; etan -- these; prasnan -- subject matters of inquiry; mama -- to me; bruhi -- please speak; viparitan -- the opposite qualities; ca -- also; sat-pate -- O Lord of the devotees.

TRANSLATION

Sri Uddhava said: My dear Lord Krsna, 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 Kesava, 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, Sri Uddhava is directly approaching the supreme authority, Lord Krsna, to obtain the standard definition for these universal aspects of civilized life.

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