Prabhupāda: So the aim of life is always being stressed by Kṛṣṇa, to stop this process of undergoing different changes of body. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). (loud sound of firecrackers throughout) Na bhūyo 'bhijāyate. In many places Kṛṣṇa has said this. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). This is the aim of life. But people are misled by the blind leaders.
We can say rascal leaders, but it may be very strong language. Kṛṣṇa has said. All persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all such persons have been described as mūḍhas, rascals. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Narādhamāḥ. He has chastised and used very strong words. Ajasram andha-yoniṣu (BG 16.19): "I push them in the darkest region of material existence." Actually that is happening. People without God consciousness, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, gradually becoming entrapped in ignorance.
The such important life, human form of life, nobody is interested to know about the philosophy of the life, value of life. They have become so frivolous. In this evening, everyone is engaged in childish activities, but nobody is interested in the real problem of life. The real problem of life is stated, na bhūyaḥ abhijāyate, big, big leaders . . . ask them what is the real problem of life. They do not know. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31).
(aside) Who is talking, this child?
Durāśayā, "expectation which will never be fulfilled." Never be fulfilled. They are trying to adjust things by so-called material adjustment, and that will not be. Therefore it is said durāśayā. Āśayā means "hope," and durā means "never to be fulfilled; far, far away." Durāśayā. Without God consciousness, without stopping the process of birth and death, you cannot be happy. That is not possibility.
But they have become so foolish. They are thinking that this duration of life, say fifty or sixty years, that's all. After this . . . big, big leaders, they say like that, that "After death, there is no life. Everything is finished." Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they are of this opinion, that after death there is no life. Everything is finished. And wherefrom all these different forms of life come, they cannot answer. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. Wherefrom they come? What is the purpose of so many forms of life? What is the purpose of life? What is the distinction between the form of human life and these lower grades of life, higher grades of life? No knowledge. No knowledge. Everyone is ignorant, foolish. Therefore they have been addressed as mūḍha, mūḍha, all rascals. If we say that "This is a civilization of rascals," it is not very strong word. Actually, they are rascals. They do not know the value of life and the real problem of life. Simply like animals they are eating, sleeping, having sex life and dying. That's all. This is their life.
So one has to learn. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtim (BG 13.24). You must learn what is this living entity. That also we do not know. Prakṛti. This body is prakṛti, and the living force which is within the body, that is puruṣa. And there are two kinds of puruṣas—the living entity and the Supersoul, Paramātmā, ātmā and Paramātmā. The ātmā is creating his own field of activities; Paramātmā is observing only, "What you are doing?" These things we have already discussed. Upadraṣṭā anumantā. The paramātma-puruṣa is upadraṣṭā, overseeing your activities. You want to do something, but without His permission, you cannot do. Upadraṣṭā anumantā ca bhartā. He is the maintainer.
Therefore we must know. This is knowledge. This is knowledge. This body, kṣetra, the owner of the body, kṣetra-jña, and the proprietor of the body, the Paramātmā, the owner of the body, we have already discussed all these things. You should remember very nicely. That is real knowledge, jñānam. What is the process of knowledge? Amānitvam adambhitvaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam ācāryopāsanaṁ bhakti-yogam (BG 13.8). To know the problems of life, this is knowledge. The aim of life. The aim of life is not to take birth again. So who is understanding all these things? Nobody is interested. Simply they are interested in the animalistic way of life. That's all. Just like animals. But Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says that, "One should know this." Ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṇaiḥ . . . and the qualities of the prakṛti: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Guṇaiḥ saha. Simply know the earth, water, air, fire.
Just like modern scientists, they are trying to understand. Scientific laboratory means they are analytically studying earth, water, air, physical. Physical studies. Metaphysical. Not metaphysical; physical, physical studies. But they do not know that there are other things of the physical world. That is guṇa. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna (BG 2.45). How physical changes are taking place, how one physical element is valuable, one physical element is not valuable—that is due to different interaction of the modes of material nature, guṇa. Guṇaiḥ saha. So simply physical elementary study is not sufficient. You must know the guṇaiḥ saha, how the qualities are acting.
Ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṇaiḥ saha, sarvathā vartamāno 'pi. If you have got sufficient knowledge . . . the knowledge is there the Bhagavad-gītā. Simply you have to study. You have to take lessons from the Bhagavad-gītā from the right person. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). You must learn from a guru who is actually in knowledge of this Vedic literatures, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And what is the symptom of such knowledge? Brahma-niṣṭham, firmly fixed up in Brahman. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). To know Brahman means to know not only the impersonal brahma-jyotir, but also Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. This is knowledge.