So when one is inquisitive, jijñāsu . . . and jijñāsu means, what kind of jijñāsu, inquisitive? Śreya uttamam. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). There are fields, different fields of activities. So when becomes inquisitive to know the ultimate necessity, ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti, ultimate necessity, śreya uttamam. There are two things: śreya and preya. I have discussed all these thing many times. Preya means immediately very palatable. That is called srey er, preya. And śreya means ultimately good. Suppose if you take some palatable foodstuff, it may be very palatable to you . . . there are many example. Just like smoking. Smoking, everyone knows, the scientist the doctor, they declare, "This is the nonsense thing. It should be avoided." They advertise even in the packet also. But people still smoke. But that is called preya. That is called preya. Preya means immediately very nice. And śreya means when one gives it up, "No, it will keep my health nice," that is śreya. Try to understand what is śreya and preya. Another example: just like a child, he wants to play whole day. Even Kṛṣṇa was playing with His friends. Mother Yaśodā had to call Him thrice, four times, then He would come back. So that is the nature of children—they want to play whole day and night. But that is not preya, er, that is not śreya. The mother, the parents, take care, "My dear boy, come here, take your bath, change your dress, take your food. It is already late." So he does not know that these things are śreya. He wants to play. Just try to understand śreya and preya. Preya means according to one's position, there are different subject matter of sense gratification. That is called preya. And śreya means for future goodness, ultimate goal. That is called preya, er, śreya. Therefore a human being is he who is inquisitive about his ultimate goal of life, to know, "How . . . what is my ultimate goal of life?" That is human being. So jijñāsu.
So when a human becomes jijñāsu, inquisitive, śreya uttamam . . . Śreya means ultimate goal of life, and uttamam . . . uttamam. Tama means darkness. Tama means darkness. Not in the darkness, but uttamam. Udgata-tamaṁ yasmāt. When he transcends this darkness field of activities . . . tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness activity. Come to the light activity." So when one becomes inquisitive for the light activity, He's human being. He's called jñānī. The karmīs, they're in darkness. Their activity has no meaning. The other day we have discussed, vyartha-karmabhiḥ. Vyartha-karmabhiḥ (SB 1.16.9). Vyartha means futile, useless. The karmīs, that they're thinking very busy. If you go to see a karmī, he will say: "Oh, I have no time." "What you are doing, sir?" "No, I am very busy. I am earning money." So . . . but śāstra says: "You are simply wasting your time." Vyartha-karmabhiḥ. Vyartha-karmabhiḥ.