Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chapter 14 Verse 10

Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth Order | Chapter 14: The Story of King Vena

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.14.10

aher iva payaḥ-poṣaḥ

poṣakasyāpy anartha-bhṛt

venaḥ prakṛtyaiva khalaḥ

sunīthā-garbha-sambhavaḥ

SYNONYMS

aheḥ — of a snake; iva — like; payaḥ — with milk; poṣaḥ — the maintaining; poṣakasya — of the maintainer; api — even; anartha — against the interest; bhṛt — becomes; venaḥ — King Vena; prakṛtyā — by nature; eva — certainly; khalaḥ — mischievous; sunīthā — of Sunīthā, Vena's mother; garbha — the womb; sambhavaḥ — born of.

TRANSLATION

The sages began to think within themselves: Because he was born from the womb of Sunīthā, King Vena is by nature very mischievous. Supporting this mischievous king is exactly like maintaining a snake with milk. Now he has become a source of all difficulties.

PURPORT

Saintly persons are generally aloof from social activities and the materialistic way of life. King Vena was supported by the saintly persons just to protect the citizens from the hands of rogues and thieves, but after his ascendance to the throne, he became a source of trouble to the sages. Saintly people are especially interested in performing sacrifices and austerities for the advancement of spiritual life, but Vena, instead of being obliged because of the saints' mercy, turned out to be their enemy because he prohibited them from executing their ordinary duties. A serpent who is maintained with milk and bananas simply stores poison in his teeth and awaits the day to bite his master.

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