SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM 9 CHAPTER 6 TEXT 45-46
sa bahv-ṛcas tābhir apāraṇīya-
tapaḥ-śriyānarghya-paricchadeṣu
gṛheṣu nānopavanāmalāmbhaḥ-
saraḥsu saugandhika-kānaneṣu
mahārha-śayyāsana-vastra-bhūṣaṇa-
snānānulepābhyavahāra-mālyakaiḥ
svalaṅkṛta-strī-puruṣeṣu nityadā
reme ’nugāyad-dvija-bhṛṅga-vandiṣu
TRANSLATION
Because Saubhari Muni was expert in chanting mantras perfectly, his severe austerities resulted in an opulent home, with garments, ornaments, properly dressed and decorated maidservants and manservants, and varieties of parks with clear-water lakes and gardens. In the gardens, fragrant with varieties of flowers, birds chirped and bees hummed, surrounded by professional singers. Saubhari Muni’s home was amply provided with valuable beds, seats, ornaments, and arrangements for bathing, and there were varieties of sandalwood creams, flower garlands, and palatable dishes. Thus surrounded by opulent paraphernalia, the muni engaged in family affairs with his numerous wives.
PURPORT
Saubhari Ṛṣi was a great yogī. Yogic perfection makes available eight material opulences—aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, prākāmya, īśitva, vaśitva and kāmāvasāyitā. Saubhari Muni exhibited super-excellence in material enjoyment by dint of his yogic perfection. The word bahv-ṛca means “expert in chanting mantras.” As material opulence can be achieved by ordinary material means, it can also be achieved by subtle means through mantras. By chanting mantras, Saubhari Muni arranged for material opulence, but this was not perfection in life. As will be seen, Saubhari Muni became very dissatisfied with material opulence and thus left everything and reentered the forest in the vānaprastha order and achieved final success. Those who are not ātma-tattva-vit, who do not know the spiritual value of life, can be satisfied with external material opulences, but those who are ātma-tattva-vit are not inspired by material opulence. This is the instruction we can derive from the life and activities of Saubhari Muni.