Text 18] The Behavior of a Perfect Person 101
who is poor and skinny gradually endeavors to earn money through busi-
ness or some other means and he then gets the money, he enjoys the
senses to his satisfaction. By enjoying the senses one becomes fat.
Therefore in spiritual advancement becoming fat is not at all satisfactory.
TEXT 18
1 9 Ta fea
AGL Ff Aa Fa Ca AM: |
amafrisd az fia ae:
Gat Tae as aH Aq URI
na te Saydnasya nirudyamasya
brahman nu hartho yata eva bhogah
abhogino ’yam tava vipra dehah
piva yatas tad vada nah ksamami cet
na—not; te—of you; saydnasya—lying down; nirudyamasya—with-
out activities; brahman—O saintly person; nu—indeed; ha—it is evi-
dent; arthah—money; yatah—from which; eva—indeed; bhogah—
sense enjoyment; abhoginah—of one who is not engaged in sense enjoy-
ment; ayam—this; tava—your; vipra—O learned brahmana; dehah—
body; piva—fat; yatah—how is it; tat—that fact; vade—kindly tell;
nah—us; ksamam—excuse; cet—if | have asked an impudent question.
TRANSLATION
O brahmana, fully in knowledge of transcendence, you have
nothing to do, and therefore you are lying down. It is also under-
stood that you have no money for sense enjoyment. How then has
your body become so fat? Under the circumstances, if you do not
consider my question impudent, kindly explain how this has hap-
pened.
PURPORT
Generally those engaged in spiritual advancement take food only once,
either in the afternoon or in the evening. If one takes food only once,
naturally he does not become fat. The learned sage, however, was quite
