Canto 11: General HistoryChapter 23: The Song of the Avantī Brāhmaṇa.

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.23.18-19

steyaḿ hiḿsānṛtaḿ dambhaḥ

kāmaḥ krodhaḥ smayo madaḥ

bhedo vairam aviśvāsaḥ

saḿspardhā vyasanāni ca

ete pañcadaśānarthā

hy artha-mūlā matā nṛṇām

tasmād anartham arthākhyaḿ

śreyo-'rthī dūratas tyajet

SYNONYMS

steyam — theft; hiḿsā — violence; anṛtam — lying; dambhaḥ — duplicity; kāmaḥ — lust; krodhaḥ — anger; smayaḥ — perplexity; madaḥ — pride; bhedaḥ — disagreement; vairam — enmity; aviśvāsaḥ — lack of faith; saḿspardhā — rivalry; vyasanāni — the dangers (coming from women, gambling and intoxication); ca — and; ete — these; pañcadaśa — fifteen; anarthāḥ — unwanted things; hi — indeed; artha-mūlāḥ — based on wealth; matāḥare known; nṛṇām — by men; tasmāt — therefore; anartham — that which is undesirable; artha-ākhyam — wealth, spoken of as if desirable; śreyaḥ-arthī — one who desires the ultimate benefit of life; dūrataḥ — at a great distance; tyajet — should leave.

TRANSLATION

Theft, violence, speaking lies, duplicity, lust, anger, perplexity, pride, quarreling, enmity, faithlessness, envy and the dangers caused by women, gambling and intoxication are the fifteen undesirable qualities that contaminate men because of greed for wealth. Although these qualities are undesirable, men falsely ascribe value to them. One desiring to achieve the real benefit of life should therefore remain aloof from undesirable material wealth.

PURPORT

The words anartham arthākhyam, or "undesirable wealth," indicate wealth that cannot be efficiently engaged in the loving service of the Lord. Such superfluous money or property will undoubtedly pollute a man with all of the above-mentioned qualities and therefore should be given up.

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