The bodily concept of life is meant for the animals. It is not for the human being. Therefore, vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānaṁ vāsudeva-paraṁ tapaḥ. People are taking to so much austerities. Just like modern scientists, they have discovered the atomic bomb. That is tapasya, of course. It is tapasya. But that kind of tapasya was done by Hiraṇyakaśipu also. What is the value of such tapasya? Tapasya must be to understand Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva-paraṁ tapaḥ. If one has actually undergone severe austerities of life to understand Vāsudeva, that is perfect tapasya. Otherwise it is simply... Hiraṇyakaśipu or the manufacturer of the atomic bomb, they are also undergone severe austerities. It is not manufactured all of a sudden. But it required brain and perseverance. They have manufactured, but what is the value? Killing, killing men. The killing, it is automatically being killed. You discover something that people will not die. People are dying. You have accelerated the death process, that's all. But they want to take credit out of it. "We have discovered this scientific..." That is not knowledge.
Here it is said, vāsudeva-paraṁ tapaḥ. Vāsudeva-paro dharmaḥ. Vāsudeva-paro dharmaḥ. Unless we come to that point, dharma, religious principle... Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is paro dharmaḥ. What? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. By executing religion one should be satisfied, but unless he comes to the point of Vāsudeva, he'll never be satisfied. That is not... Yayātmā suprasīdati. If we learn to love Vāsudeva, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, then we'll be satisfied by executing religion. Otherwise it is superficial. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed yadi ratim (SB 1.2.8). If one is not interested to hear the kathā, vāsudeva-kathā, śrama eva hi kevalam. Similarly, only formalities will not help. We must enlighten ourself. We must enhance our propensity to hear about Vāsudeva. Śravaṇam. That is wanted. Simply formalities will help us very slowly. One, one who is interested in hearing about Vāsudeva, his progress is very quick. Otherwise, it will be simply formalities. Vāsudeva-paro dharmo vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ. The ultimate goal: go back to home, back to Godhead. Vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ.
So this verse is very nice, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Essence of knowledge. Vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ. We should take advantage of the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the direction; then our life will be successful, our aim of human life, mission, will be fulfilled. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.