Canto 7: The Science of GodChapter 6: Prahlāda Instructs His Demoniac Schoolmates

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.6.17-18

yato na kaścit kva ca kutracid

dīnah svam ātmānam alam samarthah

vimocitum kāma-driśām vihāra-

krīdā-mrigo yan-nigado visargah

tato vidūrāt parihritya daityā

daityeshu sańgam vishayātmakeshu

upeta nārāyanam ādi-devam

sa mukta-sańgair ishito 'pavargah

SYNONYMS

yatah — because; na — never; kaścit — anyone; kvain any place; ca — also; kutracit — at any time; — or; dīnah — having a poor fund of knowledge; svam — own; ātmānam — self; alam — exceedingly; samarthah — able; vimocitumto liberate; kāma-driśām — of lusty women; vihārain the sexual enjoyment; krīdā-mrigaha playboy; yatin whom; nigadah — which is the shackle of material bondage; visargah — the expansions of family relationships; tatahin such circumstances; vidūrāt — from far away; parihritya — giving up; daityāhO my friends, sons of the demons; daityeshu — among the demons; sańgam — association; vishaya-ātma-keshu — who are too addicted to sense enjoyment; upeta — one should approach; nārāyanam — Lord Nārāyana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ādi-devam — the origin of all the demigods; sahHe; mukta-sańgaih — by the association of liberated persons; ishitah — desired; apavargah — the path of liberation.

TRANSLATION

My dear friends, O sons of the demons, it is certain that no one bereft of knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been able to liberate himself from material bondage at any time or in any country. Rather, those bereft of knowledge of the Lord are bound by the material laws. They are factually addicted to sense gratification, and their target is woman. Indeed, they are actually playthings in the hands of attractive women. Victimized by such a conception of life, they become surrounded by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and thus they are shackled to material bondage. Those who are very much addicted to this conception of life are called demons. Therefore, although you are sons of demons, keep aloof from such persons and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyana, the origin of all the demigods, because the ultimate goal for the devotees of Nārāyana is liberation from the bondage of material existence.

PURPORT

Prahlāda Mahārāja has maintained the philosophical point of view that one should give up the dark well of family life and go to the forest to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (hitvātma-pātam griham andha-kūpam vanam gato yad dharim āśrayeta [SB 7.5.5]). In this verse also, he stresses the same point. In the history of human society, no one, at any time or any place, has been liberated because of too much affection and attachment for his family. Even in those who are apparently very educated, the same family attachment is there. They cannot give up the association of their families, even in old age or invalidity, for they are attached to sense enjoyment. As we have several times discussed, yan maithunādi-grihamedhi-sukham hi tuccham: [SB 7.9.45] so-called householders are simply attracted by sexual enjoyment. Thus they keep themselves shackled in family life, and furthermore they want their children to be shackled in the same way. Playing the parts of playboys in the hands of women, they glide down to the darkest regions of material existence. Adānta-gobhir viśatām tamisram punah punaś carvita-carvanānām [SB 7.5.30]. Because they are unable to control their senses, they continue a life of chewing the chewed and therefore descend to the darkest material regions. One should give up the association of such demons and adhere to the association of devotees. Thus one will be able to be liberated from material bondage.

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