Pradyumna: Translation: "Due to ignorance, the materialistic person does not know anything about his real self-interest, the auspicious path in life. He is simply bound to material enjoyment by lusty desires, and all his plans are made for this purpose. For temporary sense gratification, such a person creates a society of envy, and due to this mentality, he plunges into the ocean of suffering. Such a foolish person does not even know about this."
Prabhupāda:
- lokaḥ svayaṁ śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭir
- yo 'rthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ
- anyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leṣa-hetor
- ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ
- (SB 5.5.16)
This is the description of the material world. Anyonya-vairaḥ: simply envious of one another. This is material world: I am envious of you; you are envious of me. You can extend this familywise, societywise, communitywise, nationalwise, but the basic principle is enviousness, nothing else. Therefore in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is explained that who are fit for accepting this Bhāgavata principle. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitava atra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). This is meant for the persons who are no more envious, for them. Those who are envious, they have no entrance in the principles of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Paramo nirmat... Because the whole world is based on the principle of enviousness. Anyonya-vairaḥ. And what is the meaning of this enviousness? Sukha-leśa-hetu, temporary happiness. Temporary happiness.
Now, especially in the modern world... Not only modern world, always. That is the nature of this material world. How much fighting is going on between nation to nation, person to person, community to community. There are so many codes, legal codes. The people go there, fight with one another. Then the United Nation... What is that United Nation? I have already explained many times, assembly of barking dogs. That's all. United Nation. They will never unite. They will go there and barking. Many times we have seen their enviousness. Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the proprietor of all planets." But we are claiming, "This is my country," "This is India, my country," "This is Pakistan," "This is America," "This is Russia," and fighting. And the proprietor is there; he is claiming that "This is not yours. It is mine." Still they are. Because why? Ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ. Rascals. He has no right. Unnecessarily he or they are claiming right and fighting.
You have to do it, because we are placed in a condition of suffering. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). I have given this example many times. Just like in the school the teacher engages two naughty boys to catch the ears of one another. And he is pulling the ear; he is also pulling the ear. There is competition of pulling the ear. So nature engages them. Jagat ahita ugra-karma. They have manufactured this ugra-karma world for the annihilation of this world. Russia has discovered the nuclear... What is that? Nuclear weapon? And the Americans, they are finding out the opportunity so, to drop the bomb here and there, and everything will be destroyed. They do not know what is the aim of life. Simply they are engaged in ugra-karma and creating enmity, anyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leśa-hetoḥ. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Prahlāda Mahārāja has also said that śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ: "I am simply thinking of these rascals," vimūḍhān. Here it is said, "mūḍha," and Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "vimūḍha," viśeṣa-rūpeṇa, "particularly mūḍha."