This materialistic way of life means chewing the chewed. Just like the father. Father knows that, "I married. I work so hard to maintain my family, and it is very difficult to keep the high standard of living in this age. We have to work very hard. Still, I engage my son also in the same way. In spite of my very bad experience of materialistic way of life, still, I engage my son in the same way." This is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām. Punaḥ punaḥ means "again and again"; carvita: "chewing," "chewed things." Just like sugarcane: once has chewed it, has taken its juice, it is thrown away in the street. And if somebody wants to taste it, "How it is sweet, let me see," that is called chewing the chewed.
Similarly, we have got very good experience about this materialistic way of life, hard struggle for life. But the human society, it is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, human being, they are born of the quality of passion. There are three qualities in the material world: goodness, passion and ignorance. Therefore they love to work very hard. And that very hard working is considered as happiness.
That propensity of hard working . . . just like in London you will see: everyone is engaged in hard working from the morning. You will see. All the buses and trucks, they are going with great speed, and people are going to the working office or factory. From morning till late night they are hard working, and it is called advancement of civilization. (laughter) So some of them are frustrated. They don't want it. They don't want it. It will be frustration. After all, it is hard work. Just like the hogs, they are working hard day and night for finding out, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" That is their business.
Therefore in one sense, this kind of civilization is hogs' and dogs' civilization. It is not human civilization. Human civilization means he must be sober. He should be inquisitive. A human being should be inquisitive to know, "Who I am? Why I am put into this condition to work very hard to get a few breads only? Why I am (in) this uncomfortable situation? Where from I have come? Where I have to go?" These are inquiries. These inquiries are called brahma-jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra begins, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "A human being should be inquisitive to know these things: 'Who I am? Wherefrom I have come? Where I have to go? Why I am put into this uncomfortable position?' "
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is for them who have become detestful of this material world. They are good candidates for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then the inquiry may be that, "What for these men are working so hard? What is their goal of life?" That is answered in the next verse by na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). These people are working so hard because they do not know actually what is the goal of life. Na te viduḥ. Viduḥ means knowing; na means not. These people, they do not know what is actually the goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim.
Everyone says that, "I am looking after my interest," but he does not know what is his interest. That he does not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. He should know that his real interest is to make his progress toward Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They do not know it. Why they do not know it? Durāśayā. By their hope against hope, durāśayā. Duḥ means which is very difficult to fulfill. I may hope something which is possible—that is good—but if I hope something which is never possible, that is called durāśayā. Āśa means hope, and durāśa means which will never be fulfilled.
So here it is . . . the word is used, durāśayā. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahiḥ. Bahiḥ means the external. Just we are composition of external and internal energies of God. The external energy is this gross body, and the internal energy is the mind and ego, intelligence. And behind this, both energies, external . . . this is external gross energy and external subtle energy. This body made of earth, water, air and ether, this is called gross external energy. And there is subtle external energy. What is that? Mind, intelligence and false ego. And behind that, I am, the soul, is there.
I am the proprietor of this body made of . . . just like you are covered by the shirt and coat. The shirt and coat is external body. Real body you are. Similarly this body, this gross body made of earth, water, air, fire, that is gross external energy of God, or Kṛṣṇa, and the mind and ego and intelligence, they are subtle. So we are covered. So one who has taken . . . just like if I think that, "Simply by having nice shirt and coat I will be happy," is it possible? Unless you eat nicely, unless you sleep nicely, unless you have got your sense gratification, simply by putting on costly nice shirt and coat, will you be happy? No. That is not possible.
So here we have taken this . . . bahir-artha-māninaḥ. We want to be happy by adjustment of this external energy. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. That cannot be. You are spirit soul. You must have spiritual food. You must have spiritual life. Then you can be happy. Simply as you cannot be happy by having nice shirt and coat, similarly, simply by materialistic way of life, I mean a gross and fine . . . Gross means this high skyscraper building, machine, factories, nice road, good motorcar. These are gross. And subtle: nice song, poetry, philosophy. That is subtle, subtle matter.