218 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 15
sadasas patayo "py eke
asantosat patanty adhah

panditah—very learned scholars; bahavah—many; rajan—O King
(Yudhisthira); bahu-jiah—persons with varied experience; sarséaya-
cchidah—expert in legal advice; sadasah patayah—persons eligible to
become presidents of learned assemblies; api—even; eke—by one dis-
qualification; asantosat—simply by dissatisfaction or greed; patanti—
fall down; adhah—into hellish conditions of life.

TRANSLATION

O King Yudhisthira, many persons with varied experience,
many legal advisers, many learned scholars and many persons eli-
gible to become presidents of learned assemblies fall down into
hellish life because of not being satisfied with their positions.

PURPORT

For spiritual advancement, one should be materially satisfied, for if
one is not materially satisfied, his greed for material development will
result in the frustration of his spiritual advancement. There are two
things that nullify all good qualities. One is poverty. Daridra-doso guna-
rasi-ndsi. If one is poverty-stricken, all his good qualities become null
and void. Similarly, if one becomes too greedy, his good qualifications are
lost. Therefore the adjustment is that one should not be poverty-stricken,
but one must try to be fully satisfied with the bare necessities of life and
not be greedy. For a devotee to be satisfied with the bare necessities is
therefore the best advice for spiritual advancement. Learned authorities
in devotional life consequently advise that one not endeavor to increase
the number of temples and mathas. Such activities can be undertaken
only by devotees experienced in propagating the Krsna consciousness
movement. All the dcdryas in South India, especially Sri Ramanujacarya,
constructed many big temples, and in North India all the Gosvamis of
Vrndavana constructed large temples. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakura also constructed large centers, known as Gaudiya Mathas.
Therefore temple construction is not bad, provided proper care is taken
for the propagation of Krsna consciousness. Even if such endeavors are
