Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām (Hitopadeśa 25). The only special significance of human being is that he has got special intelligence to understand what is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So therefore his first duty is to know the Absolute Truth—not waste time for eating, sleeping, mating.
The modern material civilization is wasting time, so-called advancement of material comforts. Simply wasting time. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). They are wasting time at night either by sleeping or by sexual intercourse. Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3). And during daytime, simply, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" And as soon as they get money, they spend it for kuṭumba-bharaṇa, for maintaining the family.
This is their business, the sum total of modern civilization. And if they can purchase a nice car, that is the success of their life. Kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. Not only for himself—for his wife, for his children, if he has got three cars. Just like our Mukunda Mahārāja is doing. He's earning one thousand dollars and spending in car. That is his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rascal boy is so much captivated with the rascal girl. He's thinking that he's happy. He's spoiling his life.
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Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3).
- dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv
- ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api,
- pramatto teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ
- paśyann api na paśyati
- (SB 2.1.4)
Dehāpatya. Deha means body. Apatya means children. Dehāpatya-kalatra. Kalatra means wife. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣu. He thinks, "They are my soldiers. I'll fight with nature, struggle for existence, and they'll save me." Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api. Although he knows that they'll not exist, still he's so mad, teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanam, he knows, "I'll not exist. The soldiers will not be able to help me." Paśyann api na paśyati: he sees and still he does not see. Paśyann api na paśyati. He knows by practical experience that "This society, friendship, love, nation, nobody can save me." But still he thinks that "They'll save me."
Just like when you, in the aeroplane, there may be thousands of aeroplane, others, but when your aeroplane is in danger, nobody can save you. You have to save yourself. Otherwise, you go to hell. Similarly, we have to save ourself individually by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What this material advancement will save me? Will the material advancement of knowledge can save anyone from death? Is it possible? Real problem, duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam, real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. So what this material advancement of science will help in this connection? They'll bluff, "Yes, in the future we shall do." That's all. Bluffing. Past, present, future, never they will be able to help. Still they're proud, "Yes, in the future we shall do it."