The real problem is that how to stop to get another material body. Where is that education? They do not know what is material body or there is spiritual body. No knowledge. Big, big scientists, philosophers, but they have no knowledge even that "What I am." Everyone is thinking, "I am this body." And in the śāstra, if anyone is thinking like that, he's no better than the dogs and cats, because dog is also thinking like that.
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
Animals. Go means cows and khara means ass. So without self-realization, without understanding what I am, whether I am this body or something other than the body, without this knowledge, it is animal civilization.
Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Don't waste your time in the matter of animal civilization." Na tat prayāso kartavyo. "Don't waste your time." It is very important verse. Everyone is trying to improve the condition of animal life, that's all. What is animal life? Eating, sleeping, sex and defense. Our big, big states, big, big countries, especially nowadays, USA and Russia or China, manufacturing atom bomb. So what is this atom bomb? Defense. Defense. How to get out of fear. Āhāra-nidra-bhaya. Bhaya means fearfulness. So why they are manufacturing this atom bomb? To get out of fearfulness. That you may try, but it will never be successful. You may waste your time, but you'll never be successful. Bhaya will always be there; either you have got atom bomb or any big type of defense, when death will come, it will not defend you. By force. That is God. You may try to make very good arrangement for defending, but your life will never be saved. Mṛtyu-sarva-haraś cāham. The atheistic class of men, they are trying to make arrangement for defending his life, but Kṛṣṇa says that "I'll come to you as death. I'll take out all your possessions." Mṛtyu-sarva-haraś cāham. "Whatever defensive measure you have made, I'll take everything. You'll be alone." "No, my nation, my country, my society, my wife, my children, my bank balance, they will save me." No, that will not save you.
Then what is that verse?
- dehāpatya kalatrādiṣv
- ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api
- teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramatto
- paśyann api na paśyati
- (SB 2.1.4)
Everything is discussed. Everyone is thinking that "I have got a very strong body. I run five miles a day. So I have made a so strong body, I'll never die." "That is not possible, sir. You have to die." So dehāpatya. "Now, my sons are very well educated. They are holding big, big post, minister. They will." Deha-apatya. "No, sir. They'll not be able to." Dehāpatya kalatra. "My wife, it is so sincere, so faithful. She will give me protection." "No, sir." Dehāpatya kalatra ādiṣu (SB 2.1.4). "Then, kalatra, myself, united, then sons, grandsons, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, so many, they will give." "No, sir." Dehāpatya kalatra ādiṣu. We are thinking ātma-sainya: "They are my soldiers. I am struggling for existence, and these soldiers will give me protection." So the Bhāgavata says, pramatto teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati: he's so mad that he knows that "These things will be finished. Nobody will be able to give me protection," still he is after that. Pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ means mad.
So these attempts will not give me protection. And as soon as this body's finished, another body's ready. That you do not know what kind of body you are going to get. That you have to know by your work. Urdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). Now if this time, this life I may become a prime minister and big, big man, but when I come in politics I have to deal with so many people in so many nefarious ways and lives that out of my karma, I'll get the next body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). You'll get the next body according to your karma. Now if I've acted just like menial animal, then next life animal. If I become a dog . . . This life I am minister, prime minister, and next life I become a dog, then what is my profit? But that is nature's law. There is no consideration that "You are a prime minister then you, oh, you respectable post." No. Daiva-netreṇa. The superior management will see in which way you have acted—either as a dog or as a god. That will be taken into consideration. Not your position.
But these rascals, they do not understand that everyone is strictly under the laws of nature.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
This is the position. Independently doing everything; irresponsibly doing everything; do not care for sinful activities. This is implication, entanglement. Therefore Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad-gītā: yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If you do not act for yajña . . . Yajña means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called yajña. (aside to devotee:) What is that exercise?
Devotee: . . . (indistinct) . . .
Prabhupāda: So, yajñarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). The . . . here Prahlāda Mahārāja says yajña means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore varṇāśrama-dharma, according to Vedic civilization,
- varṇāśrama ācāravatā
- puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
- viṣṇu-ārādhyate puṁsāṁ
- nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
- (CC Madhya 8.58)
The human life is meant for viṣṇu-ārādhanam. That is therefore the varṇāśrama: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. The aim is viṣṇu-ārādhanam. Viṣṇu-ārādhanam param. We are flattering so many people to get some benefit. Everyone has to flatter. Businessman has to flatter his customer; a servant has to flatter his master; and so on, so on, some friend, some minister to get some favor. But Lord Śiva says, "So why don't you flatter Viṣṇu?" Viṣṇu-ārādhanaṁ param. Tadīyānām ārādhanam. This is the śāstric injunction.