SB 10.45.7 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

मातरं पितरं वृद्धं भार्यां साध्वीं सुतं शिशुम् । गुरुं विप्रं प्रपन्नं च कल्पोऽबिभ्रच्छ्वसन् मृत: ॥ ७ ॥

Verse text

mātaraṁ pitaraṁ vṛddhaṁ bhāryāṁ sādhvīṁ sutam śiśum guruṁ vipraṁ prapannaṁ ca kalpo ’bibhrac chvasan-mṛtaḥ

Synonyms

mātaram — one’s mother ; pitaram — and father ; vṛddham — elderly ; bhāryām — one’s wife ; sādhvīm — chaste ; sutam — one’s child ; śiśum — very young ; gurum — a spiritual master ; vipram — a brāhmaṇa ; prapannam — a person who has come to one for shelter ; ca — and ; kalpaḥ — able ; abibhrat — not maintaining ; śvasan — breathing ; mṛtaḥ — dead .

Translation

A man who, though able to do so, fails to support his elderly parents, chaste wife, young child or spiritual master, or who neglects a brāhmaṇa or anyone who comes to him for shelter, is considered dead, though breathing.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

A man who, though able to do so, fails to support his elderly parents, chaste wife, young child or spiritual master, or who neglects a brāhmaṇa or anyone who comes to him for shelter, is considered dead, though breathing. KB 10.45.7 “If a person is able to care for or give protection to old parents, a chaste wife, children, the spiritual master, brāhmaṇas and other dependents but does not do so, he is considered already dead, although he is supposedly breathing.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

"One who does not support (abibhrat) mother, father, etc. though living, is considered dead."

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Vṛddham means the elders of the family. A man, though capable (kalpaḥ), who fails to support his elderly parents, is considered dead, though he still breathes. If he is incapable, the effects are less.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

He should support elders, or an old father and a chaste wife. Gurus and brāhmaṇas should always be supported (even if not old). Wives etc. are mentioned, though not related to the case at hand. Those capable are at fault by not supporting them. If not capable, the fault does not apply. Thus Vasudeva and Devakī are not at fault since they were incapable.