Text 28
puṁsas tri-vargo vihitaḥ
suhṛdo hy anubhāvitaḥ
na teṣu kliśyamāneṣu
tri-vargo ’rthāya kalpate
puṁsaḥ — of a person; tri-vargaḥ — the three aims of life (religion, economic development and sense gratification); vihitaḥ — enjoined according to Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; suhṛdaḥ — toward relatives and friends; hi — indeed; anubhāvitaḥ — when they are properly in line; na — not; teṣu — in them; kliśyamāneṣu — if they are actually in any difficulty; tri-vargaḥ — these three aims of life; arthāya — for any purpose; kalpate — does become so.
When one’s friends and relatives are properly situated, one’s religion, economic development and sense gratification, as described in the Vedic literatures, are beneficial. Otherwise, if one’s friends and relatives are in distress, these three cannot offer any happiness.
Vasudeva regretfully informed Nanda Mahārāja that although he had his wife and children, he could not properly discharge his duty of maintaining them and was therefore unhappy.