Therefore it is said, etāvān eva loka 'smin puṁsāṁ niḥśreyasa udayaḥ. Udayaḥ means rising. Just like sūryodayaḥ. In the darkness... At night, we are in the darkness. In the morning there will be sūryodayaḥ, and then there will be light. So this is conclusion, that in this material world we are simply struggling for existence with a hope, future hope, that "We shall be happy by this plan." But it will never be possible. Simply you will be bewildered. Just like the animal goes to the desert, and he sees mirage, a shadow of water in the desert. He is thirsty. He goes to the water, and the water goes again, farther away. And he jumps over, jumps over. In this way, being thirsty and in the hot sand, he dies. This is called māyā-marīcikā. Our struggle for existence is like that. We are thinking, "Let me go little farther, and we shall be happy." But actually, where is the water? There is no water in the desert. But those who are less intelligent, like animal, they seek happiness here in this material world. Just like the animal running after water in the desert. Māyā-marīcikā.
So these attachments, this false attachment, has to be given up. And that is possible when we engage ourself in the bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga.
- etāvān eva loke 'smin
- puṁsāṁ niḥśreyasodayaḥ
- tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
- mano mayy arpitaṁ sthiram
- (SB 3.25.44)
Tīvreṇa means very seriously, not superficially. Tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena. Kṛṣṇa wants to see that "Whether he has finished his all material desires?" Then He is very much pleased. He says, sarva-dharmān paritya... Sarva-dharmān means we have created so many dharmas. That is not dharma; that is... Dharma, we generally become so-called religious for artha, for money. Dharma-artha. Artha, money, is required. Why? For sense gratification, kāma. And when we are dissatisfied, then we want mokṣa. Therefore, we are actually busy with four kinds of activities: Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). And above these, when we go above these, then bhakti begins. That is the beginning of bhakti. That wanted.
Niḥśreyasa. Śreya. Śreya means ultimate good. There are two things: preya and śreya. Śreya means ultimate good. If you act in such a way that ultimately you actually become happy, that is called śreya. And if you want immediately some happiness—never mind what it will be in future—that is called preya. So less intelligent person or children, they want preya. They do not want śreya. A child is playing whole day. He likes it. That is preya. And if you want to send him to school to be educated, he doesn't like. That is śreya, ultimate good. So nobody is interested. Still, the śāstra gives us instruction that "You try for this śreya. Don't be captivated by the preya." Preya and śreya. And this śreya, the supreme śreya, is bhakti-yoga. Therefore it is said that etāvān eva loke 'smin puṁsāṁ niḥśreyasa udayaḥ. śreyasa and niḥśreyasa. Niḥśreyasa means ultimate. Niḥśreyasa udayaḥ. As soon as you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your ultimate good or ultimate perfection begins immediately.