SB 11.5.9

SB 11.5.9

Devanagari

श्रिया विभूत्याभिजनेन विद्यया त्यागेन रूपेण बलेन कर्मणा । जातस्मयेनान्धधिय: सहेश्वरान् सतोऽवमन्यन्ति हरिप्रियान् खला: ॥ ९ ॥

Verse text

śriyā vibhūtyābhijanena vidyayā tyāgena rūpeṇa balena karmaṇā jāta-smayenāndha-dhiyaḥ saheśvarān sato ’vamanyanti hari-priyān khalāḥ

Synonyms

śriyā by their opulence (wealth, etc.) ; vibhūtyā special abilities ; abhijanena aristocratic heritage ; vidyayā education ; tyāgena renunciation ; rūpeṇa beauty ; balena strength ; karmaṇā performance of Vedic rituals ; jāta which is born ; smayena by such pride ; andha blinded ; dhiyaḥ whose intelligence ; saha īśvarān — along with the Supreme Lord Himself ; sataḥ the saintly devotees ; avamanyanti they disrespect ; hari priyān — who are very dear to Lord Hari ; khalāḥ cruel persons .

Translation

The intelligence of cruel-minded persons is blinded by false pride based on great wealth, opulence, prestigious family connections, education, renunciation, personal beauty, physical strength and successful performance of Vedic rituals. Being intoxicated with this false pride, such cruel persons blaspheme the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

With pride in wealth, power, good birth, education, renunciation, beauty, strength, and performance of rituals, they become foolish and cruel, and disrespect the devotees along with the Lord. Śriyā means “by wealth.” Vibhūtyā means “by power.” They disrespect the devotees (sataḥ).

Purport

The attractive qualities exhibited by the conditioned soul originally belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the reservoir of all attractive qualities. The moonshine is actually the reflected effulgence of the sun. Similarly, the living entity reflects for a brief time a particular quantity of the Lord’s opulences. Not knowing this, atheistic persons become intoxicated by such reflected opulences, and thus blinded, they condemn themselves more and more by criticizing the Lord and His devotees. They are unable to understand how they have become abominable, and it is difficult to prevent them from going to hell.