Texts 28-32
śrī-uddhava uvāca
yamaḥ kati-vidhaḥ prokto
niyamo vāri-karṣaṇa
kaḥ śamaḥ ko damaḥ kṛṣṇa
kā titikṣā dhṛtiḥ prabho
kiṁ dānaṁ kiṁ tapaḥ śauryaṁ
kim satyam ṛtam ucyate
kas tyāgaḥ kiṁ dhanaṁ ceṣṭaṁ
ko yajñaḥ kā ca dakṣiṇā
puṁsaḥ kiṁ svid balaṁ śrīman
bhago lābhaś ca keśava
kā vidyā hrīḥ parā kā śrīḥ
kiṁ sukhaṁ duḥkham eva ca
kaḥ paṇḍitaḥ kaś ca mūrkhaḥ
kaḥ panthā utpathaś ca kaḥ
kaḥ svargo narakaḥ kaḥ svit
ko bandhur uta kiṁ gṛham
ka āḍhyaḥ ko daridro vā
kṛpaṇaḥ kaḥ ka īśvaraḥ
etān praśnān mama brūhi
viparītāṁś ca sat-pate
śrī-uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; yamaḥ — disciplinary regulations; kati-vidhaḥ — how many different types; proktaḥ — are declared to exist; niyamaḥ — regular daily duties; vā — or; ari-karṣaṇa — O Kṛṣṇa, subduer of the enemy; kaḥ — what is; śamaḥ — mental equilibrium; kaḥ — what is; damaḥ — self-control; kṛṣṇa — my dear Kṛṣṇa; kā — what is; titikṣā — tolerance; dhṛtiḥ — steadfastness; prabho — my Lord; kim — what is; dānam — charity; kim — what is; tapaḥ — austerity; śauryam — heroism; kim — what is; satyam — reality; ṛtam — truth; ucyate — is said; kaḥ — what is; tyāgaḥ — renunciation; kim — what is; dhanam — wealth; ca — also; iṣṭam — desirable; kaḥ — what is; yajñaḥ — sacrifice; kā — what is; ca — also; dakṣiṇā — religious remuneration; puṁsaḥ — of a person; kim — what is; svit — indeed; balam — strength; śrī-man — O most fortunate Kṛṣṇa; bhagaḥ — opulence; lābhaḥ — profit; ca — also; keśava — my dear Keśava; kā — what is; vidyā — education; hrīḥ — humility; parā — supreme; kā — what is; śrīḥ — beauty; kim — what is; sukham — happiness; duḥkham — unhappiness; eva — indeed; ca — also; kaḥ — who is; paṇḍitaḥ — learned; kaḥ — who is; ca — also; mūrkhaḥ — a fool; kaḥ — what is; panthāḥ — the real path; utpathaḥ — the false path; ca — also; kaḥ — what is; kaḥ — what is; svargaḥ — heaven; narakaḥ — hell; kaḥ — what is; svit — indeed; kaḥ — who is; bandhuḥ — a friend; uta — and; kim — what is; gṛham — home; kaḥ — who is; āḍhyaḥ — wealthy; kaḥ — who is; daridraḥ — poor; vā — or; kṛpaṇaḥ — a miser; kaḥ — who is; kaḥ — who is; īśvaraḥ — a controller; etān — these; praśnān — subject matters of inquiry; mama — to me; brūhi — please speak; viparītān — the opposite qualities; ca — also; sat-pate — O Lord of the devotees.
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, O chastiser of the enemies, please tell me how many types of disciplinary regulations and regular daily duties there are. Also, my Lord, tell me what is mental equilibrium, what is self-control, and what is the actual meaning of tolerance and steadfastness. What are charity, austerity and heroism, and how are reality and truth to be described? What is renunciation, and what is wealth? What is desirable, what is sacrifice, and what is religious remuneration? My dear Keśava, O most fortunate one, how am I to understand the strength, opulence and profit of a particular person? What is the best education, what is actual humility, and what is real beauty? What are happiness and unhappiness? Who is learned, and who is a fool? What are the true and the false paths in life, and what are heaven and hell? Who is indeed a true friend, and what is one’s real home? Who is a rich man, and who is a poor man? Who is wretched, and who is an actual controller? O Lord of the devotees, kindly explain these matters to me, along with their opposites.
All of the items mentioned in these five verses are defined in different ways by different cultures and societies throughout the world. Therefore, Śrī Uddhava is directly approaching the supreme authority, Lord Kṛṣṇa, to obtain the standard definition for these universal aspects of civilized life.