So, so long we shall remain in this material world, I may be Lord Indra, Lord Brahmā, or President of America, or this or that—you cannot avoid these four things. That is material existence. That is the problem. But if you want to solve the problem, then this is the process giving: the nivṛtta. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ. Don’t aspire for material enjoyment. Enjoyment is there. Don’t think that "If I stop my material enjoyment, then my life of enjoyment is finished." No. It is not finished. Just like a diseased man: he is also eating, he is also sleeping, he is also having other duties; but that he is eating, sleeping, and the healthy man's eating, sleeping is not the same thing. Similarly, our material enjoyment—the eating, sleeping, mating and defense—that is with, full of dangers. We cannot enjoy without any hindrance. There are so many hindrances.
So if we want that uninterrupted happiness… Happiness is there. Just like a diseased man, he is also eating, and the healthy man is eating. But he is having bitter taste. A man with jaundice, if you give him sugar candy, he will taste as bitter. That's a fact. But the same person who is cured from the jaundice disease, he will taste it very sweet. Similarly, in the material condition of life there are so many inebrieties, we cannot enjoy life fully. If you want full enjoyment of life, then you must come to the spiritual platform. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This material world has been described in the Bhagavad-gītā that this is duḥkhālayam. It is the place of miseries. Then if you say, "No, I have made arrangement. I have got now good, nice bank balance. My wife is very nice, my children are also very nice, so I don’t mind. I shall remain in the material world," Kṛṣṇa says aśāśvatam: "No, sir. You cannot live here. You will be kicked out." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. If you agree to stay here, in this miserable condition of life, that is also not allowed. No permanent settlement. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir.
So these problems, where is the scientists they are discussing about these problem? But the problems are there. Who wants to give up whatever family he has got? Everyone has got family, but nobody wants to give up his family. But by force he is taken away. The man is crying, "Oh, I am now going. I am now dying. What will happen to my wife, my children?" He is forced. He must get out. So this is the problem. So where is the solution of the problem? There is no solution of the problem. If you want solution of the problem, then Kṛṣṇa says,
- mām upetya kaunteya
- duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
- nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
- saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
- (BG 8.15)
"If one comes to Me," mām upetya, "then he hasn’t got to come to, again, in this material world full of miseries."
So here Śukadeva Gosvāmī is suggesting that you become devotee. Your all problems will be solved.