Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 11 Chapter 9:25-33

Book 11: Chapter 9

Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 11: Chapter 9: Verses 25-33 This body, subject to birth and death and constantly and ultimately a source ofafflictions, is my preceptor as it promotes renunciation and discrimination. Though it helps me to contemplate on realities, it really belongs to others (who devour it). Realizing this I wander renouncing all. Man earns money with difficulty in order to enjoy pleasures and maintain the growing number of wives, children, possessions, cattle, servants, houses and relations and friends. Like a tree which when ultimately destroyed leaves behind seed for another tree to grow, he too dies leaving seeds for his next birth. His tongue drags him to one side, thirst to another and the organ of generation to some other; so do the touch, stomach and ear in some other directions; the sense of smell in another and the restless eye to something else; and every physical organ draws him in a different direction. Thus like the lord of the house torn up by co-wives, his senses and organs pull him on all sides. Having created through His innate energy the bodies of the different species of living beings, such as trees, reptiles, animals, birds, gad-flies, fish etc., the Lord was not satisfied. He rejoiced (only) when He created the human body endowed with reason and capable of realizing the Supreme Deity. Having after many births in this world acquired the rare, human body, however frail, which is still the means of attaining the object of life, a wise man should speedily strive to attain Liberation, before this body, constantly subjected to annihilation, is not destroyed. The enjoyment of sense pleasures can of course be had in all species. Having thus freed myself from all attachments and egotism and developed dispassion, and possessing the light of knowledge (acquired from several preceptors), I wander in this world established in the Self. Stable and comprehensive knowledge cannot be acquired from one•preceptor. This Brahma, without a second, has been variously sung by Rsis. The Lord said : The Brahmana of deep wisdom having thus spoken to King Yadu and greeted and adored by him, took leave and delightedly went his way. Having listened to the discourse of the AvadhUta (Dattatreya) our remote ancestor (King Yadu) rid himself of all attachments and gained the steady equilibrium of mind. Thus ends the ninth discourse in Book Eleven of the great and glorious Bhagavata-Purana, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Samhita.