SB 8.19.42 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अथैतत् पूर्णमभ्यात्मं यच्च नेत्यनृतं वच: । सर्वं नेत्यनृतं ब्रूयात् स दुष्कीर्ति: श्वसन्मृत: ॥ ४२ ॥

Verse text

athaitat pūrṇam abhyātmaṁ yac ca nety anṛtaṁ vacaḥ sarvaṁ nety anṛtaṁ brūyāt sa duṣkīrtiḥ śvasan mṛtaḥ

Synonyms

atha — therefore ; etat — that ; pūrṇam — completely ; abhyātmam — drawing the compassion of others by presenting oneself as always poverty-stricken ; yat — that ; ca — also ; na — not ; iti — thus ; anṛtam — false ; vacaḥ — words ; sarvam — completely ; na — not ; iti — thus ; anṛtam — falsity ; brūyāt — who should say ; saḥ — such a person ; duṣkīrtiḥ — infamous ; śvasan — while breathing or while alive ; mṛtaḥ — is dead or should be killed .

Translation

Therefore, the safe course is to say no. Although it is a falsehood, it protects one completely, it draws the compassion of others toward oneself, and it gives one full facility to collect money from others for oneself. Nonetheless, if one always pleads that he has nothing, he is condemned, for he is a dead body while living, or while still breathing he should be killed.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

He who tells a lie and refuses to give does not deplete his wealth and attracts others’ wealth. But the person who always lies becomes infamous, and though breathing, is a dead man. Therefore saying “no” is perfect, since then one will not deplete one’s wealth. It will also draw others’ wealth to you (abhyātmam). One who always says that he has nothing and that he is suffering draws others’ wealth to him by that lie. This is well known. “Does that mean I can always lie, like drinking nectar?” No, such a person is condemned. Śruti says the same as the above verse: athaitat pūrṇam abhyātmaṁ ya neti sa yat sarvaṁ neti bruyāt pāpikāsya kīrtir jāyate sainam tatraiva hanyāt.

Purport

Beggars always present themselves as possessing nothing, and this may be very good for them because in this way they are assured of not losing their money and of always drawing the attention and compassion of others for the sake of collection. But this is also condemned. If one purposely continues this professional begging, he is supposed to be dead while breathing, or, according to another interpretation, such a man of falsity should be killed while still breathing. The Vedic injunction in this regard is as follows: athaitat pūrṇam abhyātmaṁ yan neti sa yat sarvaṁ neti brūyāt pāpikāsya kīrtir jāyate. sainaṁ tatraiva hanyāt. If one continuously poses himself as possessing nothing and collects money by begging, he should be killed ( sainaṁ tatraiva hanyāt ).