So somebody can say, "Unless there is happiness, why people should be interested?" There is happiness certainly. So that happiness is compared by Vidyāpati, the great Vaiṣṇava poet, that it is just like tatala seikate vari-bindu sama.(?) Just like desert. You have seen desert. Desert means it requires huge quantities of water. Nowadays, practically, in every country, especially in India, every land is just like desert for want of water. So you see in Vṛndāvana so much land lying vacant, no agriculture. Why? There is want of water. There is no sufficient supply of water. So in this way, if there is scarcity of water, then gradually these places will be converted into desert. Converted into desert. So the "desert" word is used because it requires huge quantity of water. Similarly, we are, in this material world, we are trying to be happy in the society, friendship and love. Suta-mitā-ramaṇi-samāje. But the happiness we are getting, that is compared with a drop of water in the desert. If in the vast desert, Arabian desert, if we say that "We want water," and somebody brings a drop of water and take it, it will be very insignificant, has no meaning.
Our heart is desiring real pleasure, transcendental bliss. So if we are put into this desert, suta-mitā-ramaṇi-samāje, where is the benefit? This song is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). They do not know what is the aim of life. They are satisfied with this drop of water in the desert. It will never mitigate. Desert is very vast tract of land dry, and if somebody says, "All right, take one drop of water," then what is the meaning? It has no meaning. Similarly, we are spirit soul. We are hankering after Kṛṣṇa. That is our inner desire. And what happiness we shall get with this society, friendship or love? This is not possible. That is not possible. There is some happiness, temporary happiness, very small quantity, so-called happiness. It will never satisfy you.
Actually we are trying to get because we are eternal. We are trying to get eternal happiness. That is... Kṛṣṇa is speaking here. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave (BG 7.2). Anasūyave. Asūya means envious. Envious. Everyone is envious of Kṛṣṇa. That is demon. Just like Kaṁsa. In this tract of land, Mathurā, there was Kaṁsa. He was so envious that he ordered to his servant that "As soon as Kṛṣṇa is born, please bring the child. I shall kill Him." This is asūya. So at the present moment, practically the whole world, they want to be godless. The scientists and the..., everyone is trying to prove that "There is no God. There is no Kṛṣṇa. This is all sentiment." Especially in the Communist countries. So if you become demon, Communist, or in favor of them, then you are also infected with asūya, envious of Kṛṣṇa. Then you cannot understand. Then you cannot understand. Kṛṣṇa is very strict. But the devotees are very lenient. Kṛṣṇa doesn't want to speak even with demons. But the devotees are so kind, they go to the demons and pray, "Kindly hear. Kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa." This is...
Therefore a devotee is more merciful than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa doesn't speak to the demons. Unless you are one who is bhakta... just like Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to Arjuna, bhakto 'si sakhā ceti. Kṛṣṇa never speaks. Kṛṣṇa was very strict. But the devotees, Kṛṣṇa has said, ya imaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣu abhidhāsyati. About Bhagavad-gītā He says, "One who speaks this confidential knowledge amongst the bhaktas..." He recommends the bhaktas. But the devotees, they are so merciful, they go to the abhakta, transgressing the order of Kṛṣṇa because they are so merciful: "All right, Kṛṣṇa has rejected them. Let me try. Let me try." This is the position of a bhakta. They are not only unenvious to God, but they are also unenvious...
Therefore their name is kāruṇikāḥ, kāruṇikāḥ, most merciful. The describe... What is that? Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām (SB 3.25.21). Devotees are always tortured by the demons. They (the demons) are prepared to torture even Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and great devotees also. So they (the devotees) tolerate all these tortures. Therefore the devotees are described as titikṣavaḥ. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also teaches, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. A devotee should learn this śloka of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that he should be tolerant more than the trees. Kāruṇikāḥ. And they take the risk of preaching amongst the demons, nondevotees, because they are kāruṇikāḥ, very merciful, more merciful than Kṛṣṇa.