SB 5.14.12
Devanāgarī
स यदा दुग्धपूर्वसुकृतस्तदा कारस्करकाकतुण्डाद्यपुण्यद्रुमलताविषोदपानवदुभयार्थशून्यद्रविणान्जीवन्मृतान् स्वयं जीवन्म्रियमाण उपधावति ॥ १२ ॥
Text
sa yadā dugdha-pūrva-sukṛtas tadā kāraskara-kākatuṇḍādy-apuṇya-druma-latā-viṣoda-pānavad ubhayārtha-śūnya-draviṇān jīvan-mṛtān svayaṁ jīvan-mriyamāṇa upadhāvati.
Synonyms
saḥ—that conditioned soul;yadā—when;dugdha—exhausted;pūrva—previous;sukṛtaḥ—pious activities;tadā—at that time;kāraskara-kākatuṇḍa-ādi—namedkāraskara, kākatuṇḍa,etc.;apuṇya-druma-latā—impious trees and creepers;viṣa-uda-pāna-vat—like wells with poisonous water;ubhaya-artha-śūnya—which cannot give happiness either in this life or in the next;draviṇān—those who possess wealth;jīvat-mṛtān—who are dead, although apparently alive;svayam—he himself;jīvat—living;mriyamāṇaḥ—being dead;upadhāvati—approaches for material acquisition.
Translation
Due to his pious activities in previous lives, the conditioned soul attains material facilities in this life, but when they are finished, he takes shelter of wealth and riches, which cannot help him in this life or the next. Because of this, he approaches the living dead who possess these things. Such people are compared to impure trees, creepers and poisonous wells.
Purport
yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam
“O son of Kuntī, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.” ( Bg. 9.27 ) Material wealth and opulence attained through previous pious activities can be fully utilized for one’s benefit in this life and the next if one is Kṛṣṇa conscious. One should not try to possess more than he needs for the bare necessities. If one gets more than is needed, the surplus should be fully engaged in the Lord’s service. That will make the conditioned soul, the world and Kṛṣṇa happy, and this is the aim of life.