472 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 9

asrama it is instructed that this material world is not actually the home of
the living being. The conditioned souls under material bondage are prison-
ers of matter, and therefore self-realization is the ultimate aim of life. The
whole system of asrama-dharma is a means to detachment. One who fails
to assimilate this spirit of detachment is allowed to enter into family life
with the same spirit of detachment. Therefore, one who attains detach-
ment may at once adopt the fourth order, namely, renounced, and thus
live on charity only, not to accumulate wealth, but just to keep body and
soul together for ultimate realization. Household life is for one who is
attached, and the vanaprastha and sannyasa orders of life are for those who
are detached from material life. The brahmacari-asrama is especially meant
for training both the attached and detached.

TEXT 27

ZTOTAT TTA AAA TTT |
rly WAZA AAPA: III

dana-dharman raja-dharman
moksa-dharman vibhagasah

stri-dharman bhagavad-dharman
samasa-vydsa-yogatah

dana-dharman--the acts of charity; raja-dharman—pragmatic activities of
the kings; moksa-dharman—the acts for salvation; vibhagasah—by divisions;
stri-dharman—duties of women; bhagavat-dharman—the acts of the devo-
tees; samasa—generally; vydsa—explicitly; yogatah—by means of.

TRANSLATION

He then explained, by divisions, acts of charity, the pragmatic activi-
ties of a king and activities for salvation. Then he described the duties of
women and devotees, both briefly and extensively.

PURPORT

To give charity is one of the householder’s main functions, and he
should be prepared to give in charity at least fifty percent of his hard-
earned money. A brahmacari, or student, should perform sacrifices, a
householder should give charity, and a person in the retired life or in the
