SB 11.21.19 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

विषयेषु गुणाध्यासात् पुंस: सङ्गस्ततो भवेत् । सङ्गात्तत्र भवेत् काम: कामादेव कलिर्नृणाम् ॥ १९ ॥

Verse text

viṣayeṣu guṇādhyāsāt puṁsaḥ saṅgas tato bhavet saṅgāt tatra bhavet kāmaḥ kāmād eva kalir nṛṇām

Synonyms

viṣayeṣu — in material objects of sense gratification ; guṇa — adhyāsāt — because of presuming them to be good ; puṁsaḥ — of a person ; saṅgaḥ — attachment ; tataḥ — from that presumption ; bhavet — comes into being ; saṅgāt — from that material association ; tatra — thus ; bhavet — arises ; kāmaḥ — lust ; kāmāt — from lust ; eva — also ; kaliḥ — quarrel ; nṛṇām — among men .

Translation

One who accepts material sense objects as desirable certainly becomes attached to them. From such attachment lust arises, and this lust creates quarrel among men.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

One becomes attached because of thinking that an object is good. From that attachment desire arises. From desire quarrel arises. The path of enjoyment is shown to be the cause of great obstacles in order to defeat persons absorbed in the path of enjoyment mentioned in the Vedas. This is explained in four verses. Men become attached because of thinking that certain objects are good. From that attachment desire arises. From desire arises quarrel with persons who oppose one’s desires.

Purport

The actual goal of human life should not be material sense gratification, for it is the basis of conflict in human society. Although the Vedic literature sometimes sanctions sense gratification, the ultimate purpose of the Vedas is renunciation, since Vedic culture cannot possibly recommend anything that disturbs human life. A lusty person is easily angered and becomes inimical to anyone frustrating his lusty desires. Since his sex desire can never be satisfied, a lusty person ultimately becomes frustrated with his own sex partner, and thus a “love-hate” relationship develops. A lusty person considers himself to be the enjoyer of God’s creation and is therefore full of pride and false prestige. The lusty, proud person will not be attracted to the process of humble submission at the lotus feet of the bona fide spiritual master. Attraction to illicit sex is thus the direct enemy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which depends upon humble submission to the representative of the Supreme Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa also states in Bhagavad-gītā that desire for illicit sex is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world. Because modern society sanctions unrestricted mixing of men and women, its citizens cannot possibly achieve peace; rather, the regulation of conflict becomes the basis of social survival. This is the symptom of an ignorant society falsely accepting the material body as the highest good, as described here by the words viṣayeṣu guṇādhyāsāt. One who is too affectionate to his own body will inevitably be seized by sex desire.