Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.23.23

svargāpavargayor dvāraḿ

prāpya lokam imaḿ pumān

draviṇe ko 'nuṣajjeta

martyo 'narthasya dhāmani

SYNONYMS

svarga — of heaven; apavargayoḥ — and liberation; dvāram — the gateway; prāpya — achieving; lokam — the human life; imam — this; pumān — a person; draviṇe — to property; kaḥ — who; anuṣajjeta — will become attached; martyaḥ — prone to death; anarthasya — of worthlessness; dhāmani — in the realm.

TRANSLATION

What mortal man, having achieved this human life, which is the very gateway to both heaven and liberation, would willingly become attached to that abode of worthlessness, material property?

PURPORT

That which one intends to use for one's personal sense gratification is called material property, whereas paraphernalia to be used in the Lord's loving service is understood to be spiritual. One should give up all one's material property by utilizing it completely in the devotional service of the Lord. A person who owns a luxurious mansion should install the Deity of the Lord and hold regular programs to propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Similarly, wealth should be used to build temples of the Lord and publish literature scientifically explaining the Personality of Godhead. One who blindly renounces material property without utilizing it in the service of the Lord does not understand that everything belongs to the Personality of Godhead. Such blind renunciation is based on the material idea that "This property could belong to me, but I don't want it." Everything, in fact, belongs to God; knowing this one neither tries to enjoy nor to reject the things of this world, but peacefully engages them in the service of the Lord.

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