Practically every person, 99.9%, they are under the impression that "I am this body." This conception of life is animal consciousness. The dog is thinking, "I am this body." The cat is thinking, "I am this body." But actually we are not these bodies. That is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. So, especially in the modern age, people are thinking like that, and they are unhappy. They don’t believe in the next life, although practically we see, every moment you are changing bodies.
So on the whole, lokasya ajānataḥ, they do not know what is the value of life. This is the position.
- anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād
- bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
- lokasyājānato vidvāṁś
- cakre sātvata-saṁhitām
- (SB 1.7.6)
This is Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva compiled the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The purpose was that anartha, anartha . . . this body is anartha. Anartha means unnecessary. But we are put into such condition that this . . . we are busy with . . . (break) . . . we don’t require, just like to remain without any dress, that is the original condition. Now you can dress with so many outward coverings. But we spirit soul, we do not require this material dress, but somehow or other we have got it. This is anartha. Anartha means unwanted. So anarthopaśamam, how to get out of this anartha, unwanted thing. That means is bhakti-yoga. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasya ajānatah. People, though, do not know it. They are in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.