Devanagari
राजतश्चौरत: शत्रो: स्वजनात्पशुपक्षित: ।
अर्थिभ्य: कालत: स्वस्मान्नित्यं प्राणार्थवद्भयम् ॥ ३३ ॥
Verse text
rājataś caurataḥ śatroḥ
sva-janāt paśu-pakṣitaḥ
arthibhyaḥ kālataḥ svasmān
nityaṁ prāṇārthavad bhayam
Synonyms
rājataḥ
—
from the government
;
caurataḥ
—
from thieves and rogues
;
śatroḥ
—
from enemies
;
sva
—
janāt — from relatives
;
paśu
—
pakṣitaḥ — from animals and birds
;
arthibhyaḥ
—
from beggars and persons seeking charity
;
kālataḥ
—
from the time factor
;
svasmāt
—
as well as from one’s self
;
nityam
—
always
;
prāṇa
—
artha — vat — for one who has life or money
;
bhayam
—
fear .
Translation
Those who are considered materially powerful and rich are always full of anxieties because of governmental laws, thieves and rogues, enemies, family members, animals, birds, persons seeking charity, the inevitable time factor and even their own selves. Thus they are invariably afraid.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Those how are attached to wealth and to their physical strength to be used for enjoyment have constant fear of government, thieves, enemies, family members, animals, birds, persons seeking charity, time and even their own selves.
Svasmāt (from oneself) means one can destroy oneself by forgetfulness, enjoyment or giving away one’s wealth in charity. Those who are attached to their wealth and their physical strength (prāṇa) to be used for enjoying have fear from government, thieves etc. One should take only as much as is needed for existence.
kāmasya nendriya-prītir lābho jīveta yāvatā |
jīvasya tattva-jijṣāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ ||
For one who desires apavarga, sense pleasure attained from enjoying sense objects is not the goal as long as one lives. The goal of life is inquiry into the highest truth. What is accomplished by prescribed duties is not the goal. SB 1.2.10
Purport
The word
svasmāt
means “from one’s self.” Because of attachment for money, the richest person is even afraid of himself. He fears that he may have locked his money in an unsafe manner or might have committed some mistake. Aside from the government and its income tax and aside from thieves, even a rich man’s own relatives are always thinking of how to take advantage of him and take away his money. Sometimes these relatives are described as
sva- janaka-dasyu,
which means “rogues and thieves in the guise of relatives.” Therefore, there is no need to accumulate wealth or unnecessarily endeavor for more and more money. The real business of life is to ask “Who am I?” and to understand one’s self. One should understand the position of the living entity in this material world and understand how to return home, back to Godhead.