People are trying to do that, that . . . when a man gets some money, bank balance, he no more works. But that is the tendency, that "Without working, I shall maintain myself happily." That is our tendency. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), Vedānta-sūtra says. Because our tendency is to enjoy life, but we do not know where to enjoy, how to enjoy. And that is called illusion. We are trying to enjoy life in this material world, where there is no enjoyment. There is no enjoyment. Repeatedly śāstra says. Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15): "This place is simply for miserable condition of life." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. "And still, it is temporary." Even if you think, "All right, there are so many miserable condition. Never mind. Let me adjust and live here permanently," oh, no, that will also not be allowed. Temporary. You may decorate your Paris city. Napoleon tried and other tried. But you cannot live here, sir. You have to go out.
But these rascals, they do not understand. They are decorating, decorating. "Tax. Give more tax. Give more tax. Let us decorate." But how you'll . . . how long you shall live in this decorated city? Even if you live, if you are so much lover, great nationalist of the country, suppose next life you get the . . . because when one has very much attraction for a certain land, then he again takes birth in that land. So if you take your birth not as human being or as a cat and dog or a cow, then you'll be sent to the slaughterhouse. Then what is the use of your becoming nationalist? Your men, for whom you have worked so hard, next life if you take your birth as a cow, the same men will send you to the slaughterhouse. But these rascals, they do not know what is the mystery.
Therefore to make solution of this problem, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now inquire what is the Absolute Truth." That is intelligence. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, although He is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is giving reference to the Brahma-sūtra. Whatever He speaks, it is all right. He doesn't require to refer any authoritative book. But He is also giving. You have seen Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is the way. But these rascals are trying to avoid authoritative scriptures. Even Kṛṣṇa is giving reference to the authoritative scripture, and these rascal, they have so degraded, they say, "Oh, why these books? Now I can manufacture own knowledge." And other rascals, they are accepting: "Yes, it is right."
So this is called Kali-yuga. People are so degraded, less than animal, less than animal. Therefore to revive them, the Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you inquire about the Absolute Truth." Hetumadbhir viniścitaṁ. Now, hetumadbhiḥ. Hetumadbhiḥ means "with reason." Reason. What is that reason? Now, if I want to inquire about the Absolute Truth, so how I shall understand? Now . . . there are three ways, namely pratyakṣa . . . pratyakṣa, aitihya and śruti, śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa, pratyakṣa-pramāṇa, direct perception. Now, Brahman, the Absolute Truth, how we can understand the Absolute Truth? Absolute Truth means the Supreme. Now we have got experience that everything is created by somebody—everything, whatever we see, this pillow, this seat, or this book, or this microphone, whatever we are seeing. Even my body is created by my father and mother. Everyone can understand. So why they should deny the creation of this material world?