When Arjuna inquired about Kṛṣṇa's vibhūti, His opulence, He summarized,
- athavā bahunaitena
- kim jñātena tavārjuna
- viṣṭabhyā idaṁ kṛtsnam
- ekāṁśena sthito jagat
- (BG 10.42)
"My dear Arjuna, how long I shall describe you about My opulence? I summarize it that this material world is only one-fourth manifestation of My opulence." Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. This material world means... You have... We have got experience about this universe up to the sky, as far as we can see, the horizon. This is one universe. And there are millions of universes like this. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, that yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnaṁ (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā. The Lord's effulgence is Brahman effulgence. Within that Brahman effulgence there are innumerable universes, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means this brahmāṇḍa. Aṇḍa. It is round; it is not flat. Aṇḍa, just like egg. Koṭi. Koṭi means innumerable. And in each universe... Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣv aṣeṣa-vasudhādi (Bs. 5.40). In each brahmāṇḍa there are unlimited number of planets and stars, aśeṣa-vasudha. And vibhūti-bhinnam. And each planet is differently situated. Each planet has got specific atmosphere, specific arrangement. Just like the sun globe. The sun globe is fiery. The moon, moon planet, it is very pleasing. There is also fire, but it is surrounded by cold atmosphere; therefore it is very pleasing. So vibhūti-bhinnam. Each every planet has got different atmosphere. And each and every planet, there are different kinds of living entities just suitable for that atmosphere. Don't think that in the sun planet there is no life. There is also life. If there is no life, how Kṛṣṇa says that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1)? Vivasvate means... The king of sun planet is known as Vivasvān. So Kṛṣṇa spoke with him, so how you can say there is no life? This is material world, many millions of universes. In another place it is said, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-bilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48).
So we have to take information from the authoritative literature what is the position of this material world, the spiritual world, God, and His relationship with us, our position. This is real knowledge, not that a knowledge that how to live. Living condition is fulfilled by the nature's way. There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. They are not concerned how to eat, how to sleep. They know, by nature's arrangement there is already arrangement. Just like the birds in the morning. They rise up early in the morning. They are not concerned where they will eat. They know there is already arrangement for eating. The elephants in Africa, they know that God has already arranged for their eating forty kilos at a time. The ants within the room, they know there is already arrangement. So if God has arranged for everyone, eight million different species of life or forms of life, why not for human being? There is arrangement. But in the human being is advised to do certain things. They must do it. Then there is no question of scarcity. There is... Everything is arranged there. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: (BG 3.14) "You produce your food grains so that the animals and the man, both will be happy." But if you don't produce food grains, if you produce sugarcane, then how they will be satisifed? Food grains must be produced. That is the injunction of the śāstra. So, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23). If you do not follow the instruction of the śāstra-śāstra means the instruction of God—then na siddhiṁ sa, such civilization will never be perfect, na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti, na sukham, neither they will be happy, na parāṁ gatim, neither they will be elevated back to home, back to Godhead. This is the defect. Therefore we should try to understand what is the goal of life. But that we do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. By their own blind intelligence they are trying to adjust things within this material word, and they are being failure repeatedly. Still, they have no sense. So those who are actually leaders of the society, they should be sensible. They should take advice, instruction from the most perfect personality, Kṛṣṇa, and adjust things. Then they will be happy.