Devanagari
तस्मान् कस्यचिद्द्रोहमाचरेत् स तथाविध:
आत्मन: क्षेममन्विच्छन् द्रोग्धुर्वै परतो भयम् ॥ ४४ ॥
Verse text
tasmān na kasyacid droham
ācaret sa tathā-vidhaḥ
ātmanaḥ kṣemam anvicchan
drogdhur vai parato bhayam
Synonyms
tasmāt
—
therefore
;
na
—
not
;
kasyacit
—
of anyone
;
droham
—
envy
;
ācaret
—
one should act
;
saḥ
—
a person (Kaṁsa)
;
tathā
—
vidhaḥ — who has been advised in such a way (by Vasudeva)
;
ātmanaḥ
—
his own
;
kṣemam
—
welfare
;
anvicchan
—
if he desires
;
drogdhuḥ
—
of one who is envious of others
;
vai
—
indeed
;
parataḥ
—
from others
;
bhayam
—
there is a cause of fear .
Translation
Therefore, since envious, impious activities cause a body in which one suffers in the next life, why should one act impiously? Considering one’s welfare, one should not envy anyone, for an envious person must always fear harm from his enemies, either in this life or in the next.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Therefore, since envious, impious activities cause a body in which one suffers in the next life, why should one act impiously? Considering one's welfare, one should not envy anyone, for an envious person must always fear harm from his enemies, either in this life or in the next.
KB 10.1.44
Vasudeva thus requested Kaṁsa not to be envious of his newly married sister. One should not be envious of anyone, because envy is the cause of fear both in this world and in the next, when one is before Yamarāja (the lord of punishment after death).
Purport
Instead of being inimical toward other living entities, one should act piously by engaging in the service of the Supreme Lord, thus avoiding a fearful situation both in this life and in the next. In this regard, the following moral instruction by the great politician Cāṇakya Paṇḍita is very meaningful:
tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ
bhaja sādhu-samāgamam
kuru puṇyam aho rātraṁ
smara nityam anityatām
One should give up the company of devils, demons and nondevotees and should always associate with devotees and saintly persons. One should always act piously, thinking that this life is temporary, and not be attached to temporary happiness and distress. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching all of human society this principle of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and thus solving the problems of life forever (
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna
).
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
a person covered by ignorance (sa tatha vidha) should not commit violence. For a person who commits violence to others (drogdhu) there is fear of harm from Yama and others (paratah). In this verse Vasudeva uses bheda to instill fear.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
“You have explained how one achieves another body and the difficulties encountered from karma. If you have this knowledge why do you make efforts to protect your body? But if I lack that knowledge then I will make efforts to protect my body.” This verse answers such a doubt. Since pious acts produce good results and being absorbed in the body produces ignorance, even if you cannot do the pious acts and give up absorption in the body, you must give up violence to others. Why? You should desire your benefit in this and the next world since the person who commits violence must fear others. This is use of bheda or dissention (mental doubt) of two types: showing fear in this life and the next. It should be understood that at the beginning of topics of Kṛṣṇa, the goal scripture is to teach knowledge of ātmā and detachment to make the materialist give up his absorption in his body.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
In order to speak about topics of Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva first spoke of the inevitability of death, the ātmā’s acceptance of various bodies, the variety of bodies, and the illusion of attachment to enjoyment. Without such knowledge, with investigation of one’s true benefit, the taste for topics of the Lord will not arise. That should be understood in later conversations also.
The person, taking birth in the manner described (saḥ), should not commit violence, desiring his future benefit. If he does, he will suffer similar violence in the future. Seeing the suffering in others, one should imply similar suffering on oneself. He should rather show compassion.
Or the person, because he has experience suffering (tathāvidhaḥ) should not commit violence and cause suffering to others. There is fear of suffering from karma, and fear from seeing the suffering of others.