Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.21.31

svapnopamam amuḿ lokam

asantaḿ śravaṇa-priyam

āśiṣo hṛdi sańkalpya

tyajanty arthān yathā vaṇik

SYNONYMS

svapna — a dream; upamam — equal to; amum — that; lokam — world (after death); asantam — unreal; śravaṇa-priyam — only enchanting to hear about; āśiṣaḥ — mundane achievements in this life; hṛdi — in their hearts; sańkalpya — imagining; tyajanti — they give up; arthān — their wealth; yathā — like; vaṇik — a businessman.

TRANSLATION

Just as a foolish businessman gives up his real wealth in useless business speculation, foolish persons give up all that is actually valuable in life and instead pursue promotion to material heaven, which although pleasing to hear about is actually unreal, like a dream. Such bewildered persons imagine within their hearts that they will achieve all material blessings.

PURPORT

All over the world people are working hard to achieve perfect sense gratification in this life or the next. As eternal living beings, part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa, we are naturally endowed with all bliss and knowledge in the association of the Lord. But giving up this exalted position of spiritual bliss and knowledge, we foolishly waste our time pursuing the phantasmagoria of bodily happiness, just like a foolish businessman who squanders his real assets in imaginary business ventures that deliver no real profit.

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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