—json {

  "name":"SB 5.5.17",
  "h1":"SB 5.5.17",
  "label":"Text 17",
  "title":"Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.5.17",
  "description":"If someone is ignorant and addicted to the path of saṁsāra, how can one who is actually learned, merciful and advanced in spiritual knowledge engage him in fruitive activity and thus further entangle him in material existence? If a blind man is walking down the wrong path, how can a gentleman allow him to continue on his way to danger? How can he approve this method? No wise or kind man can allow this."

} —

SB 5.5.17

Text

kas taṁ svayaṁ tad-abhijño vipaścid
avidyāyām antare vartamānam
dṛṣṭvā punas taṁ saghṛṇaḥ kubuddhiṁ
prayojayed utpathagaṁ yathāndham

Synonyms

kaḥ—who is that person; tam—him; svayam—personally; tat-abhijñaḥ—knowing spiritual knowledge; vipaścit—a learned scholar; avidyāyām antare—in ignorance; vartamānam—existing; dṛṣṭvā—seeing; punaḥ—again; tam—him; sa-ghṛṇaḥ—very merciful; ku-buddhim—who is addicted to the path of saṁsāra; prayojayet—would engage; utpatha-gam—who is proceeding on the wrong path; yathā—like; andham—a blind man.

Translation

If someone is ignorant and addicted to the path of saṁsāra, how can one who is actually learned, merciful and advanced in spiritual knowledge engage him in fruitive activity and thus further entangle him in material existence? If a blind man is walking down the wrong path, how can a gentleman allow him to continue on his way to danger? How can he approve this method? No wise or kind man can allow this.