Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, jñāna-kāṇḍa, karma-kāṇḍa, sakalī viṣera bhāṇḍa: either you are engaged in the activities ofkarmaor either you are engaged in the activities of speculating knowledge or acquiring knowledge. This is jñāna-kāṇḍa and karma-kāṇda. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that, "Both these, jñāna-kāṇḍa and karma-kāṇḍa, are pots of poison. Either you drink this or that, it doesn't matter." (break) he is spoiling the human form of life being engaged in karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa. He is spoiling his life. What benefit he will derive? Karma-kāṇḍa—according to karma he'll get a different body. Jñāna-kāṇḍa also. If you actually become very much advanced in knowledge, you can get a body in a brāhmaṇa family, in a very educated family. But I'll have to go through the transmigration of the soul, repetition of birth and death.
There is risk. I do not know what I am going to get. It is no guarantee. Little mistake. Little mistake . . . just like Bharata Mahārāja, little mistake. At the time of . . . he was thinking of a deer. Next life he got the life of a deer. Little mistake. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajanty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Because nature is so perfect, at the time of your death, what is the mental condition, you will get a similar body, next life. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Because daiva, Kṛṣṇa is with you. Kṛṣṇa will see, "Now he is thinking of become a king," "Now he is thinking to become a dog."
So Kṛṣṇa immediately gives you. You take the body of a dog. You take the body of a lion. You take the body of a king. Take the body . . . similarly, if you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, take the body of a Kṛṣṇa, immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness: how to train the mind to die thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. Therefore we have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, always think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Then your life is perfect.