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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
<< Canto 11, General History >> << 19 - The Perfection of Spiritual Knowledge >>
<< VERSE 28-32 >>
śrī-uddhava uvāca yamaḥ kati-vidhaḥ prokto niyamo vāri-karṣaṇa kaḥ śamaḥ ko damaḥ kṛṣṇa kā titikṣā dhṛtiḥ prabho kiṁ dānaṁ kiṁ tapaḥ śauryaṁ kim satyam ṛtam ucyate kas tyāgaḥ kiṁ dhanaṁ ceṣṭaṁ ko yajñaḥ kā ca dakṣiṇā puṁsaḥ kiṁ svid balaṁ śrīman bhago lābhaś ca keśava kā vidyā hrīḥ parā kā śrīḥ kiṁ sukhaṁ duḥkham eva ca kaḥ paṇḍitaḥ kaś ca mūrkhaḥ kaḥ panthā utpathaś ca kaḥ kaḥ svargo narakaḥ kaḥ svit ko bandhur uta kiṁ gṛham ka āḍhyaḥ ko daridro vā kṛpaṇaḥ kaḥ ka īśvaraḥ etān praśnān mama brūhi viparītāṁś ca sat-pate
WORD BY WORD
TRANSLATION
| Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, O chastiser of the enemies, please tell me how many types of disciplinary regulations and regular daily duties there are. Also, my Lord, tell me what is mental equilibrium, what is self-control, and what is the actual meaning of tolerance and steadfastness. What are charity, austerity and heroism, and how are reality and truth to be described? What is renunciation, and what is wealth? What is desirable, what is sacrifice, and what is religious remuneration? My dear Keśava, O most fortunate one, how am I to understand the strength, opulence and profit of a particular person? What is the best education, what is actual humility, and what is real beauty? What are happiness and unhappiness? Who is learned, and who is a fool? What are the true and the false paths in life, and what are heaven and hell? Who is indeed a true friend, and what is one’s real home? Who is a rich man, and who is a poor man? Who is wretched, and who is an actual controller? O Lord of the devotees, kindly explain these matters to me, along with their opposites.
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PURPORT
| All of the items mentioned in these five verses are defined in different ways by different cultures and societies throughout the world. Therefore, Śrī Uddhava is directly approaching the supreme authority, Lord Kṛṣṇa, to obtain the standard definition for these universal aspects of civilized life.
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