SB 8.22.26

SB 8.22.26

Devanagari

जन्मकर्मवयोरूपविद्यैश्वर्यधनादिभि: । यद्यस्य न भवेत् स्तम्भस्तत्रायं मदनुग्रह: ॥ २६ ॥

Verse text

janma-karma-vayo-rūpa- vidyaiśvarya-dhanādibhiḥ yady asya na bhavet stambhas tatrāyaṁ mad-anugrahaḥ

Synonyms

janma by birth in an aristocratic family ; karma by wonderful activities, pious activities ; vayaḥ by age, especially youth, when one is capable of doing many things ; rūpa by personal beauty, which attracts everyone ; vidyā by education ; aiśvarya by opulence ; dhana by wealth ; ādibhiḥ by other opulences also ; yadi if ; asya of the possessor ; na not ; bhavet there is ; stambhaḥ pride ; tatra in such a condition ; ayam a person ; mat anugrahaḥ — should be considered to have received My special mercy .

Translation

If a human being is born in an aristocratic family or a higher status of life, if he performs wonderful activities, if he is youthful, if he has personal beauty, a good education and good wealth, and if he is nonetheless not proud of his opulences, it is to be understood that he is especially favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

If a human being is born in an aristocratic family, if he performs wonderful activities, if he is youthful, if he has personal beauty, education or wealth, and if he is nonetheless not proud, it is to be understood that he is especially favored by me. If a person does not have pride, which causes destruction and insult, even on attaining good birth etc. that is my mercy to a person. This is a different form of mercy from the previously mentioned mercy of taking away wealth. I do not take away his wealth, since there is no harm in his possessing that wealth.

Purport

When in spite of possessing all these opulences a person is not proud, this means that he is fully aware that all his opulences are due to the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He therefore engages all his possessions in the service of the Lord. A devotee knows very well that everything, even his body, belongs to the Supreme Lord. If one lives perfectly in such Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is to be understood that he is especially favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The conclusion is that one’s being deprived of his wealth is not to be considered the special mercy of the Lord. If one continues in his opulent position but does not become unnecessarily proud, falsely thinking that he is the proprietor of everything, this is the Lord’s special mercy.