Text 15-16

Text

śrī-śuka uvāca
ambarīṣo mahā-bhāgaḥ
sapta-dvīpavatīṁ mahīm
avyayāṁ ca śriyaṁ labdhvā
vibhavaṁ cātulaṁ bhuvi

mene ‘tidurlabhaṁ puṁsāṁ
sarvaṁ tat svapna-saṁstutam
vidvān vibhava-nirvāṇaṁ
tamo viśati yat pumān

Synonyms

sri-sukah uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; ambarīṣaḥ—King Ambarīṣa; maha-bhagah—the greatly fortunate king; sapta-dvīpavatīm—consisting of seven islands; mahim—the whole world; avyayam ca—and inexhaustible; sriyam—beauty; labdhvā—after achieving; vibhavam ca—and opulences; atulam—unlimited; bhuvi—in this earth; mene—he decided; ati-durlabham—which is rarely obtained; puṁsām—of many persons; sarvam—everything (he had obtained); tat—that which; svapna-saṁstutam—as if imagined in a dream; vidvan—completely understanding; vibhava-nirvāṇam—the annihilation of that opulence; tamah—ignorance; viśati—fallen into; yat—because of which; pumān—a person. 

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, the most fortunate personality, achieved the rule of the entire world, consisting of seven islands, and achieved inexhaustible, unlimited opulence and prosperity on earth. Although such a position is rarely obtained, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did not care for it at all, for he knew very well that all such opulence is material. Like that which is imagined in a dream, such opulence will ultimately be destroyed. The King knew that any nondevotee who attains such opulence merges increasingly into material nature’s mode of darkness. 

Purport

For a devotee material opulence is insignificant, whereas for a nondevotee material opulence is the cause of increasing bondage, for a devotee knows that anything material is temporary, whereas a nondevotee regards the temporary so-called happiness as everything and forgets the path of self-realization. Thus for the nondevotee material opulence is a disqualification for spiritual advancement. 

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