Prabhupāda: So this is the situation. We have discussed in the previous verse that we are decreasing the span of life. The scientists will say: "No, we are making arrangement so that by science we shall make man immortal." Vikatate. When a man becomes mad, he speaks so many nonsense. Like a child: a child also speaks so many nonsense things, and the parents enjoy it. Similarly, the so-called scientist, when he says that, "By scientific method, we shall stop death," so there is no evidence in the history of the human society that a man has not died.
That cannot be. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was also atheist and materialistic. He also tried to become immortal. And he made a plan, negative plan, to cheat Lord Brahmā that, "I shall not die in this way, in this way, in that way, in this way, that way." But still he was killed. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa says that, "I am death, and at the time of death I take away everything." Sarva-haraś ca.
So we cannot cheat God or His law. That is not possible. We may be very intelligent to cheat here the police or the government or the laws, but it is not possible to cheat the supreme laws. That is not possible. Therefore, in order to avoid the superintendence of the Supreme Lord . . . because there is superintendence; as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you have read, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10): "Under My superintendence the law of nature is working."
So we are under the laws of nature. The nature is very vigilant, strong agent of Kṛṣṇa. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So we cannot avoid. Even if we deny, "There is no God, there is no systematic government or stringent laws," just to avoid our responsibility, but that will not save us.
Now, the argument is, in the previous verse, it is said that we are decreasing our duration of life. The scientists will say: "No, we shall stop it." Taking this argument, Bhāgavata says: "Suppose you stop death . . ." It cannot be. Suppose you increase the duration, span of life, to a very extensive way. In reply to that, it is said that "What is the use of living for so many years?" If the life is not properly utilized . . .
Now, they living for many, many years, so the trees are also living, standing in one place, living for many years. In San Francisco we saw. They say that one tree, red tree, very tall, very stout and strong, and they said that this tree is standing there for seven thousands of years. So what is the benefit?
So we can argue that, "You cannot compare with tree and us. Because we have got so many facilities." What facilities? "That facility . . . the tree's life . . . that is life, admitting, but it cannot breathe." So immediately the answer is, bhastrāḥ kiṁ na śvasanty uta. Bhastrāḥ, bellow. You have seen big, big bellows in blacksmith shop—that is also made of skin.
Just like our body is made of skin, that bellow is also made of skin, and it has got a big nose, and breathing is coming, "bhas-ghans, ghans-bhas." So these are the tangible examples. So if you want to increase your life, there are many living entities, they are living many, many years more than you. So what excel? What is excellence in your part? And if you say that, "I am breathing. The tree cannot breathe," oh, there is the bhastrāḥ, the bellows. It can breathe better than you.
Then he says: "No, they have no enjoyment of eating and mating." Then the Bhāgavata replies, kiṁ . . . na khādanti na mehanti kiṁ grāme paśavo 'pare. Wherever we live, there are many other lower animals, just like dogs, cats, hogs, asses, animals, camels. Of course, in city we do not find these, but in villages these are domestic animals—dogs, asses, hogs, camel, monkey and so many others.
Therefore he says grāme, "In your vicinity, in your neighborhood, there are many animals. They have got the facility of eating and sexual intercourse. So how do we excel them?" The modern civilization is such a foolish civilization that they think they are advanced. In which way you are advanced? The animals, the trees, they are far advanced than you in this matter. So far bodily necessities are concerned, you cannot compete with them.
You are flying. So we can fly by airplane. Oh, the vulture can fly more than you. It is a vulture, and it flies many miles above, and it has got very sharp eyesight. The vulture is so up. The business is where there is a dead body, that's all. He is trying to find out, "Where is a dead body?" You see? It goes high, but the business is to find out a dead body. That's all.