1260 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 27

tesu tad-riktha-haresu
grha-k osanujivisu

niridhena mamatvena
visayesv anvabadhyata

tesu—to them; tat-riktha-haresu—the plunderers of his money; grha—
home; kosa—treasury; anujivisu—to the followers; niriidhena—deep-rooted;
mamatvena—by attachment; visayesu—to sense objects; anvabadhyata—
became bound.

TRANSLATION

These sons and grandsons were virtually plunderers of King Puranjana’s
riches, including his home, treasury, servants, secretaries and all other
paraphernalia. Purarijana’s attachment for these things was very deep-
rooted.

PURPORT

In this verse the word riktha-haresu, meaning plunderers of wealth, is
very significant. One’s sons, grandsons and other descendants are ultimately
plunderers of one’s accumulated wealth. There are many celebrated
businessmen and industrialists who produce great wealth and are highly
praised by the public, but all their money is ultimately plundered by
their sons and grandsons. In India we have actually seen one industrialist,
who, like King Purafijana, was very much sexually inclined and had a
half dozen wives. Each of these wives had a separate establishment that
necessitated the expenditure of several thousands of rupees. When I was
engaged in talking with him, I saw that he was very busy trying to secure
money so that all his sons and daughters would get at least 500,000 rupees
each. Thus such industrialists, businessmen or karmis are called midhas
in the sastras. They work very hard, accumulate money, and are satisfied
to see that this money is plundered by their sons and grandsons. Such
people do not want to return their wealth to its actual owner. As stated
in Bhagavad-gita:

bhoktaram yajiia-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram

suhrdam sarva-bhitanam
jiiatva mam santim rechati

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and
austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the bene-
factor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of
material miseries.” (Bg. 5.29)
