Devanagari
स्वप्नोपमममुं लोकमसन्तं श्रवणप्रियम् ।
आशिषो हृदि सङ्कल्प्य त्यजन्त्यर्थान् यथा वणिक् ॥ ३१ ॥
Verse text
svapnopamam amuṁ lokam
asantaṁ śravaṇa-priyam
āśiṣo hṛdi saṅkalpya
tyajanty arthān yathā vaṇik
Synonyms
svapna
—
a dream
;
upamam
—
equal to
;
amum
—
that
;
lokam
—
world (after death)
;
asantam
—
unreal
;
śravaṇa
—
priyam — only enchanting to hear about
;
āśiṣaḥ
—
mundane achievements in this life
;
hṛdi
—
in their hearts
;
saṅkalpya
—
imagining
;
tyajanti
—
they give up
;
arthān
—
their wealth
;
yathā
—
like
;
vaṇik
—
a businessman .
Translation
Just as a foolish businessman gives up his real wealth in useless business speculation, foolish persons give up all that is actually valuable in life and instead pursue promotion to material heaven, which although pleasing to hear about is actually unreal, like a dream. Such bewildered persons imagine within their hearts that they will achieve all material blessings.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Just as a foolish businessman gives up his present wealth in exchange for a promise of some future treasure, foolish persons spend their wealth on sacrifices, imagining blessings in the present life and promotion to material heaven in the future, which, although pleasing to hear about, are actually unreal, like a dream.
Moreover, they have very little intelligence. Desiring pleasant next life and blessings in this life, which are as if unreal, but at the same not confirming those results because it is difficult to do so, they spend their wealth in performing karmas. Similarly a merchant with a desire for great wealth to be attained by crossing a difficult ocean gives up his present wealth, and then ends up with nothing.
Purport
All over the world people are working hard to achieve perfect sense gratification in this life or the next. As eternal living beings, part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa, we are naturally endowed with all bliss and knowledge in the association of the Lord. But giving up this exalted position of spiritual bliss and knowledge, we foolishly waste our time pursuing the phantasmagoria of bodily happiness, just like a foolish businessman who squanders his real assets in imaginary business ventures that deliver no real profit.