వృద్ధి - మోహం

సుప్రజ్ఞమపి చేచ్చూరమృద్ధిర్మోహయతే నరం
వర్తమానః సుఖే సర్వో ముహ్యతీతి మతిర్మమ

---- నహుషుడు యుధిష్ఠిరునితో, వనపర్వం 181 వ అధ్యాయం 30 వ శ్లోకం

suprajnamapi cEcchuuramRddhirmOhayatE naraM
vartamAnaH sukhE sarvO muhyatIti matirmama

--- Nahusha to yudhishThira in mahAbhArata, vanaparvam, 181 adhyAyam 30 SlOkam.

However virtuous, How brave one is, prosperity (or growth i.e., vRddhi) deludes a person.
One who is going through the phase of happiness and enjoyments will be deluded is my (Nahusha's) opinion.

Background: Nahusha was a virtuous king. Due to some unforeseen circumstances King of Gods (Indra) went into exile. All the gods selected Nahusha as the Indra due to his virtuous nature. Nahusha became Indara and started ruling the kingdom of Gods. In due course, Nahusha's growth deluded his senses and he desired SacIdEvi, Queen of Indra also to be his wife.

Queen SacI went to Lord Brahma and requested for a upAya (technique / solution) to the problem. Brahma told her to ask Nahusha to come to her on a palanquin carried by the Rishis (realized sages). As the palanquin is being carried, Sage AgasThya was walking slow. Being deluded by desire, Nahusha kicked maharshi Agasthya saysing "Sarpa, Sarpa" (meas go fast, go fast)

Sage Agasthya thought Nahusha is not suitable anymore for the kingdom of Gods and cursed him to be a sarpa (a serpent that crawls). Hence Nahusha become a python and living on the Earth. As Nahusha requested for release from the curse to Sage, Agasthya told him "you will be released when dharmarAja, yudhisThira rightly answers your questions in dvApara yuga.

So, when BhIma is captured by Nahusha in python form, King Dharmaraja came to rescue BhIma. During the process of Nahusha - yudhishThira samvAda (discussion between Nahusha and YudhishThira) this verse appears.

--- Today is an auspicious day of Pushya amAvasya (new moon day) with AdivAra (sunday) during the mahA kumbha mEla time.

Remembering Sage AgashThya, Nahusha and YudhisThira today and chanting Aditya hRdaya stotram, giving arghya to pitRdevas (manes) are highly meritorious activities for today. And they keep us grow without delusion.