The people of the modern age should think over this question of Nārada to Vyāsadeva very seriously, whether on the bodily platform or on the mental platform we can be happy. No. That is not possible. That is not possible. We should clearly understand that people are busy only on the bodily platform and mental platform. They have no spiritual understanding. That is the defect of the modern civilization. Unless . . .
Just like you belong to certain atmosphere. Just like we are Indians. I am speaking from bodily consideration, that I am, in here, in your country, I am very comfortably situated. The boys are taking care of me very seriously. But still, sometimes I think that, "I am . . . I was happy in Vṛndāvana." Similarly, if you are transferred to some other foreign country, however comfortably you may be situated, you'll think of your own country. This is natural.
Therefore we are seeking after spiritual happiness actually. Just like the child. Child is crying. The child is crying, and the mother is trying to pacify the child in so many ways, but the child is still crying because it wants something else. The child wants mother's milk. So unless the mother is supplying that thing, it is not satisfied. Similarly, our demand is spiritual happiness. Our demand is spiritual happiness.
Just this morning or yesterday morning I was walking on the street. So many books were thrown in the street. Very nice book. Gaurasundara, you remember. Yes. Because the fact is all these nonsense books could not give him solace. He has thrown it on the street. Very nice book. Not nice book; very binding nice. It must have been very costly book. Big, big book thrown away. Why? There was no peace. There was no peace.
Therefore . . . just like in your country I see bunch of newspaper. Just after one second, turning this page, that page, thrown away. Why? There is no pleasure. There is no pleasure. Simply the old story. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Chewing the chewed. In your country we don't find such things. In our country, India, the sugarcane is chewed, the juice is sucked, and it is thrown in the street. Now, if somebody goes and chews the chewed sugarcane, what relish, what taste he will get it? Similarly, because we have no information of spiritual life, we are simply chewing the chewed. That's all. In a different way. This way or that way, this way or that way. And that is sex life. That's all.
So that will not give us happiness. This is the purport of the question of Nārada Muni. Pārāśarya mahā-bhāga bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā (SB 1.5.2). "Do you think that the soul can be pacified, the soul can be in peace by identifying himself with the body and the mind?" No. That cannot be. "And you are the first-class example." Why?
- jijñāsitaṁ susampannam
- api te mahad-adbhutam
- kṛtavān bhārataṁ yas tvaṁ
- sarvārtha-paribṛṁhitam
- (SB 1.5.3)
"You are not ordinary scholar. You have produced Mahābhārata." Mahābhārata. The other day I explained what is Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is the . . . the real meaning of Mahābhārata is "History of India." History of . . . mahā, mahā means great, and great history of India. Bhārata means India.
India's real name is Bhārata-varṣa. Perhaps you know. Bhārata-varṣa. This whole planet was known in the beginning as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. Then there was a king, Mahārāja Bharata. So according to his name the whole planet became Bhārata-varṣa. This whole planet is called Bhārata-varṣa according to Vedic literature. But now it is now divided.
There is a long history, how the human society was distributed all over this planet. So far Mahābhārata is concerned, you Americans or Europeans, you also originally belonged to India, according to Mahābhārata. Turkish civilization and Greece civilization was originally from India. Two sons of Mahārāja Yayāti, they were given kingdom of Turkey and Greece, and from Turkey and Greece the European civilization or population has increased, and from Europe, the Americans, they have come here. Of course, that is historical point.
So here it is said: "My dear Vyāsadeva, you have compiled a great literature, Mahābhārata. And in that Mahābhārata you have introduced everything that is knowable for understanding." Mahābhārata was originally written for the woman class and strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnām (SB 1.4.25). Because the Vedic literature is very stiff. Not only because it is written by old Sanskrit . . . written in old Sanskrit language, but the meaning is very deep. Vedic literature . . . because at that time people were very intelligent, so simple one hint gives them lots of meaning. Just like Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra, you'll find simply some clues. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1): "The source of all emanation." Now we can think over, "the source of all emanation."
So Vedic literature requires explanation, authoritative explanation. So the original Veda . . .
(break) they . . . it was not possible for understanding for ordinary class of men. And who are ordinary class of men? Now, strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhu. Strī, woman class, are taken as less intelligent. It is not partiality, it is stated in the śāstra, and practically it is so. So woman class, strī, and Śūdra. Śūdra means laborer class. Strī, śūdra and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means born of a high family. The Brāhmin, Kṣatriya and the Vaiśyas, they are considered as in the higher status of social life, and the Śūdra . . .
It is everywhere. It is not that . . . the other day in the television somebody was questioning me that, "Why there is caste system in India?" So I answered, "The caste system is everywhere. Why in India?" And what is that caste system? The caste system is that there is a class of men who are intelligent, very intelligent—educationist, philosopher, scientist.