96 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 9, Ch. 4
Sri-Suka uvdca
ambariso maha-bhagah
sapta-dvipavatim mahim
avyayam ca sriyam labdhva
vibhavam catularh bhuvi
mene ‘tidurlabham pumsarn
sarvam tat svapna-samstutam
vidvan vibhava-nirvanam
tamo viSati yat puman
sri-Sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; ambarisah —King
Ambarisa; mahd-bhagah—the greatly fortunate king; sapta-dvipa-
vatim—consisting of seven islands; mahim—the whole world; avyayam
ca—and inexhaustible; sriyam—beauty; labdhva—after achieving;
vibhavam ca—and opulences; atulam—unlimited; bhuvi—in this earth;
mene—he decided; ati-durlabham—which is rarely obtained; pum-
sdm—of many persons; sarvam—everything (he had obtained); tat—
that which; svapna-sarmstutam—as if imagined in a dream; vidvan—
completely understanding; vibhava-nirvanam—the annihilation of that
opulence; tamah—ignorance; visati—fallen into; yat—because of
which; pumdn—a person.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami said: Maharaja Ambarisa, the most fortunate
personality, achieved the rule of the entire world, consisting of
seven islands, and achieved inexhaustible, unlimited opulence and
prosperity on earth. Although such a position is rarely obtained,
Maharaja Ambarisa did not care for it at all, for he knew very well
that all such opulence is material. Like that which is imagined in a
dream, such opulence will ultimately be destroyed. The King knew
that any nondevotee who attains such opulence merges in-
creasingly into material nature’s mode of darkness.
PURPORT
For a devotee material opulence is insignificant, whereas for a non-
devotee material opulence is the cause of increasing bondage, for a
