SB 5.14.4 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

यथा ह्यनुवत्सरं कृष्यमाणमप्यदग्धबीजं क्षेत्रं पुनरेवावपनकाले गुल्मतृणवीरुद्भ‍िर्गह्वरमिव भवत्येवमेव गृहाश्रम: कर्मक्षेत्रं यस्मिन्न हि कर्माण्युत्सीदन्ति यदयं कामकरण्ड एष आवसथ: ॥ ४ ॥

Verse text

yathā hy anuvatsaraṁ kṛṣyamāṇam apy adagdha-bījaṁ kṣetraṁ punar evāvapana-kāle gulma-tṛṇa-vīrudbhir gahvaram iva bhavaty evam eva gṛhāśramaḥ karma-kṣetraṁ yasmin na hi karmāṇy utsīdanti yad ayaṁ kāma-karaṇḍa eṣa āvasathaḥ.

Synonyms

yathā — just as ; hi — certainly ; anuvatsaram — every year ; kṛṣyamāṇam — being plowed ; api — although ; adagdha — bījam — in which the seeds are not burned ; kṣetram — the field ; punaḥ — again ; eva — certainly ; āvapana — kāle — at the times for sowing the seeds ; gulma — by bushes ; tṛṇa — by grasses ; vīrudbhiḥ — by the creepers ; gahvaram iva — like a bower ; bhavati — becomes ; evam — thus ; eva — certainly ; gṛha — āśramaḥ — family life ; karma — kṣetram — the field of activities ; yasmin — in which ; na — not ; hi — certainly ; karmāṇi utsīdanti — fruitive activities disappear ; yat — therefore ; ayam — this ; kāma — karaṇḍaḥ — the storehouse of fruitive desire ; eṣaḥ — this ; āvasathaḥ — abode .

Translation

Every year the plowman plows over his grain field, completely uprooting all weeds. Nonetheless, the seeds lie there and, not being completely burned, again come up with the plants sown in the field. Even after being plowed under, the weeds come up densely. Similarly, the gṛhastha-āśrama [family life] is a field of fruitive activity. Unless the desire to enjoy family life is completely burned out, it grows up again and again. Even though camphor may be removed from a pot, the pot nonetheless retains the aroma of camphor. As long as the seeds of desire are not destroyed, fruitive activities are not destroyed.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Just as unburned seeds from weeds, though ploughed under, again spring up as a thicket of brushes, grass and creepers after sowing seeds, the household is the field of action, in which the actions do not cease since the household is a storehouse for desires. This verse describes the dense thicket of creepers, grass and bushes. Action does not disappear since the household is a storehouse of desires. Just as a pot in which the hing has disappeared still has the smell of hing, activities are not dissipated since impressions remain.

Purport

Unless one’s desires are completely transferred to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the desire for family life continues, even after one has taken sannyāsa. Sometimes in our society, ISKCON, a person out of sentiment may take sannyāsa, but because his desires are not burned completely, he again takes to family life, even at the risk of losing his prestige and disgracing his good name. These strong desires can be burned out completely when one fully engages in the service of the Lord in devotional service.