किं नु तेषां गृहैः कार्यं किं दारैः किं धनेन वा।
पुत्रैर्वा किं सुखैर्वापि ये न पश्यन्ति राघवम्॥
kiṁ nu teṣāṁ gṛhair kāryaṁ kiṁ dāraiḥ kiṁ dhanena vā
putrair vā kiṁ sukhair vāpi ye na paśyanti rāghavam
kim nu = what; teṣām = for those; gṛhaiḥ = by having homes; kāryam = can be accomplished; kim = what is the use of; dāraiḥ = wives; kim = what is the use of; dhanena = wealth; vā = and; putraiḥ vā = sons; kim = what is the use of; sukhaiḥ = other sources of happiness; vā api = or; ye = who; na = not; paśyanti = do see; rāghavam = Rāghava.
“For those who do not see Rāghava, what can be accomplished by having homes? What is the use of wives and what is the use of wealth? What is the use of sons or other sources of happiness?1
1 A commentator has foolishly indicated that the residents of Ayodhyā are products of māyā. As is clear from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Bādarāyaṇa’s natural commentary on his Vedānta-sūtra, the beloved associates of the Supreme Lord are not products of the illusory potency of the Lord. When the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu descends, He descends with His associates from the spiritual world. Lord Viṣṇu Himself, His spiritual world and His associates are all transcendental to the illusory potency. Interested readers can refer to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī’s Bhagavat-sandarbha, a detailed analysis of the Bhāgavatam’s statements on these topics.