स्तत् को विचष्टे गतिमात्मनो यथा ।
तस्मै नमस्ते जगदीश्वराय वै
नारायणायाखिललोकसाक्षिणे ॥१७॥
yayÄ hi vidvÄn api muhyate yatas
tat ko vicaá¹£á¹e gatim Ätmano yathÄ
tasmai namas te jagad-Ä«Å›varÄya vai
nÄrÄyaṇÄyÄkhila-loka-sÄká¹£iṇe
yayÄ - by which material opulence; hi - indeed; vidvÄn api - even a person fortunately advanced in education; muhyate - becomes bewildered; yataḥ - self-controlled; tat - that; kaḥ - who; vicaá¹£á¹e - can search for; gatim - the progress; Ätmanaḥ - of the self; yathÄ - properly; tasmai - unto Him; namaḥ - I offer my respectful obeisances; te - unto You; jagat-Ä«Å›varÄya - unto the Lord of the universe; vai - indeed; nÄrÄyaṇÄya - unto His Lordship NÄrÄyaṇa; akhila-loka-sÄká¹£iṇe - who are the witness of all creation.
Material opulence is so bewildering that it makes even a learned, self-controlled man forget to search for the goal of self-realization. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead, NÄrÄyaṇa, the Lord of the universe, can see everything by His will. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.
The words ko vicaá¹£á¹e gatim Ätmano yathÄ indicate that when one is puffed up by the false prestige of possessing material opulence, he certainly neglects the goal of self-realization. This is the position of the modern world. Because of so-called scientific improvements in material opulence, people have entirely given up the path of self-realization. Practically no one is interested in God, one’s relationship with God or how one should act. Modern men have altogether forgotten such questions because they are mad for material possessions. If this kind of civilization continues, the time will soon come when the Supreme Personality of Godhead will take away all the material opulences. Then people will come to their senses.
