उत्पत्त्यैव हि कामेषु प्राणेषु स्वजनेषु च । आसक्तमनसो मर्त्या आत्मनोऽनर्थहेतुषु ॥ २४ ॥
utpattyaiva hi kāmeṣu prāṇeṣu sva-janeṣu ca āsakta-manaso martyā ātmano ’nartha-hetuṣu
- utpattyā eva
- simply by birth
- hi
- indeed
- kāmeṣu
- in objects of selfish desires
- prāṇeṣu
- in vital functions (such as one’s duration of life, sense activities, physical strength and sexual potency)
- sva-janeṣu
- in his family members
- ca
- and
- āsakta-manasaḥ
- having become attached within the mind
- martyāḥ
- mortal human beings
- ātmanaḥ
- of their real self
- anartha
- of defeating the purpose
- hetuṣu
- which are the causes
Simply by material birth, human beings become attached within their minds to personal sense gratification, long duration of life, sense activities, bodily strength, sexual potency and friends and family. Their minds are thus absorbed in that which defeats their actual self-interest.