Skip to main content

ŚB 4.20.6

Devanagari

असंसक्त: शरीरेऽस्मिन्नमुनोत्पादिते गृहे ।
अपत्ये द्रविणे वापि क: कुर्यान्ममतां बुध: ॥ ६ ॥

Text

asaṁsaktaḥ śarīre ’sminn
amunotpādite gṛhe
apatye draviṇe vāpi
kaḥ kuryān mamatāṁ budhaḥ

Synonyms

asaṁsaktaḥ — being unattached; śarīre — to the body; asmin — this; amunā — by such a bodily conception; utpādite — produced; gṛhe — house; apatye — children; draviṇe — wealth; — or; api — also; kaḥ — who; kuryāt — would do; mamatām — affinity; budhaḥ — learned person.

Translation

How can a highly learned person who has absolutely no affinity for the bodily conception of life be affected by the bodily conception in regard to house, children, wealth and similar other bodily productions?

Purport

The Vedic ritualistic ceremonies are certainly meant to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. However, by such activities one does not factually satisfy the Lord. Rather, with the sanction of the Lord, one tries to satisfy one’s own senses. In other words, materialists, who are especially interested in sense gratification, are given permission or license to enjoy sense gratification by executing the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. That is called traiguṇya-viṣayā vedāḥ. The Vedic performances are based on the three modes of material nature. Those who are elevated above the material condition are not at all interested in such Vedic performances. Rather, they are interested in the higher duties of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such devotional service is called nistraiguṇya. Devotional service to the Lord has nothing to do with the material conception of bodily comfort.