Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 10 Chapter 20 Verse 38

Canto 10: The Summum Bonum | Chapter 20: The Rainy Season and Autumn in Vṛndāvana

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.20.38

gādha-vāri-carās tāpam

avindañ charad-arka-jam

yathā daridraḥ kṛpaṇaḥ

kuṭumby avijitendriyaḥ

SYNONYMS

gādha-vāri-carāḥ — those who were moving in shallow water; tāpam — suffering; avindan — experienced; śarat-arka-jam — due to the sun in the autumn season; yathā — as; daridraḥ — a poor person; kṛpaṇaḥ — miserly; kuṭumbī — absorbed in family life; avijita-indriyaḥ — who has not controlled the senses.

TRANSLATION

Just as a miserly, poverty-stricken person overly absorbed in family life suffers because he cannot control his senses, the fish swimming in the shallow water had to suffer the heat of the autumn sun.

PURPORT

Although, as described in the previous verse, unintelligent fish are not aware of the diminishing water, one may think these fish are still happy according to the old proverb "Ignorance is bliss." But even the ignorant fish are scorched by the autumn sun. Similarly, although an attached family man may consider his ignorance of spiritual life blissful, he is constantly disturbed by the problems of family life, and, indeed, his uncontrolled senses lead him into a situation of unrelieved anguish.

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