Text 9] Deliverance of the Yamala-arjuna Trees 179
TRANSLATION

Narada Muni said: Among all the attractions of material enjoy-
ment, the attraction of riches bewilders one’s intelligence more
than having beautiful bodily features, taking birth in an
aristocratic family, and being learned. When one is uneducated
but falsely puffed up by wealth, the result is that one engages his
wealth in enjoying wine, women and gambling.

PURPORT

Among the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion and ig-
norance— people are certainly conducted by the lower qualities, namely
passion and ignorance, and especially by passion. Conducted by the mode
of passion, one becomes more and more involved in material existence.
Therefore human life is meant for subduing the modes of passion and
ignorance and advancing in the mode of goodness.

tadd rajas-tamo-bhavah
kama-lobhddayas ca ye
ceta etair andviddham
sthitam sattve prasidati
(Bhag. 1.2.19)
This is culture: one must subdue the modes of passion and ignorance. In
the mode of passion, when one is falsely proud of wealth, one engages his
wealth only for three things, namely wine, women and gambling. We can
actually see, especially in this age, that those who have unnecessary
riches simply try to enjoy these three things. In Western civilization,
these three things are very prominent because of an unnecessary’ in-
crease of wealth. Narada Muni considered all this in the case of
Manigriva and Nalakiivara because he found in them so much pride in
the wealth of their father, Kuvera.
TEXT 9
a SS
wad Ta aa freaeiraraht: |
A 7
WAR | TAT AAT 8 I
