Ātmā, the self, we are all seeking happiness of ātmā. Ātmā means this body, ātmā means the mind, and ātmā means the soul. So everyone is seeking happiness either of these three: body or mind or the soul, because we are combination of all these things. I am. . . So long I am not spiritually advanced, or I am materially engrossed, I want to satisfy my body. Body means the senses. So bodily satisfaction means sense gratification. When we are baffled in the sense gratification, then we try to satisfy the thinking, feeling, willing of our mind. And when we fail satisfaction of the mind also, then we seek satisfaction of the soul. That is supreme. Here it is stated, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo.
For the satisfaction of the body we are working as karmi on the material platform. For the satisfaction of the mind we are working as philosopher, scientist, poets. But all these platform of satisfaction will not give us that happiness which we are seeking after. Therefore, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is describing here that if you want really satisfaction, then you come to the platform of the spirit soul. That is called paro dharmo. There are two things: para and apara. Aparā means which is not myself, and para means transcendental to the senses. So we have manufactured different types of religious system concerning the body.
Take for example nationalism. What is nationalism? Nationalism means I have got this body in certain area, I have got my this body in India, you have got this body in America. So you are thinking national of USA, I am thinking national of India. Similarly, others also thinking. So this is called aparā dharma. Aparā dharma means temporary regarding the body. But we have come to the platform of paro. If we want satisfaction really, then we have come to the platform of para, the spiritual platform.