SB 11.23.19 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

स्तेयं हिंसानृतं दम्भ: काम: क्रोध: स्मयो मद: । भेदो वैरमविश्वास: संस्पर्धा व्यसनानि च ॥ १८ ॥ एते पञ्चदशानर्था ह्यर्थमूला मता नृणाम् । तस्मादनर्थमर्थाख्यं श्रेयोऽर्थी दूरतस्त्यजेत् ॥ १९ ॥

Verse text

steyaṁ hiṁsānṛtaṁ dambhaḥ kāmaḥ krodhaḥ smayo madaḥ bhedo vairam aviśvāsaḥ saṁspardhā vyasanāni ca ete paṣcadaśānarthā hy artha-mūlā matā nṛṇām tasmād anartham arthākhyaṁ śreyo-’rthī dūratas tyajet

Synonyms

steyam — theft ; hiṁsā — violence ; anṛtam — lying ; dambhaḥ — duplicity ; kāmaḥ — lust ; krodhaḥ — anger ; smayaḥ — perplexity ; madaḥ — pride ; bhedaḥ — disagreement ; vairam — enmity ; aviśvāsaḥ — lack of faith ; saṁspardhā — rivalry ; vyasanāni — the dangers (coming from women, gambling and intoxication) ; ca — and ; ete — these ; paṣcadaśa — fifteen ; anarthāḥ — unwanted things ; hi — indeed ; artha — mūlāḥ — based on wealth ; matāḥ — are known ; nṛṇām — by men ; tasmāt — therefore ; anartham — that which is undesirable ; artha — ākhyam — wealth, spoken of as if desirable ; śreyaḥ — arthī — one who desires the ultimate benefit of life ; dūrataḥ — at a great distance ; tyajet — should leave .

Translation

Theft, violence, speaking lies, duplicity, lust, anger, perplexity, pride, quarreling, enmity, faithlessness, envy and the dangers caused by women, gambling and intoxication are the fifteen undesirable qualities that contaminate men because of greed for wealth. Although these qualities are undesirable, men falsely ascribe value to them. One desiring to achieve the real benefit of life should therefore remain aloof from undesirable material wealth.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Theft, violence, speaking lies, duplicity, lust, anger, perplexity, pride, quarreling, enmity, faithlessness, envy and the dangers caused by women, gambling and intoxication are the fifteen undesirable qualities that contaminate men because of greed for wealth. These are the fifteen anarthas. One desiring to achieve the real benefit of life should therefore remain aloof from these anarthas which men believe are valuable. As well more undesirable qualities manifest. Dangers arise from women, gambling and drinking. Along with the four qualities from the previous verse, there are nineteen qualities. The four qualities give rise to suffering. The fifteen qualities give rise to sin. They are the cause of fifteen anarthas.

Purport

The words anartham arthākhyam, or “undesirable wealth,” indicate wealth that cannot be efficiently engaged in the loving service of the Lord. Such superfluous money or property will undoubtedly pollute a man with all of the above-mentioned qualities and therefore should be given up.