Prabhupāda: So this is an actual fact, that Mahārāja Pratāparudra . . . he was the King of Orissa, and in the fifteenth century, India was conquered by the Muhammadans, Pathans, but they could not conquer that portion of the country, Orissa, because Mahārāja Pratāparudra was very strong king. But his strength was on the basis of his devotion to Lord Jagannātha. So even if we want to enjoy the material world . . . the devotee does not want to enjoy, but Kṛṣṇa keeps his devotee in all comfortable situation. There is no question about it.
So we should not desire separately for material comfort. We should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa and be satisfied. In whatever condition He keeps, be satisfied. Then He will look after whether you are comfortable or uncomfortable. If you try yourself, independently, to become comfortable, that is māyā. You cannot become so. Otherwise, you see everyone is trying to be comfortable in this material world. Do you think that everyone is comfortable? Who is trying for discomfiture? No, nobody's trying. Everyone is trying to be very happy, but why there are so many discrepancies? Somebody is very poor, somebody is very rich, somebody is in the middle. That means there is superior supervision. If you simply try to become rich, that is not possible.
Therefore śāstra says intelligent men, they should not bother about this so-called happiness and distress of the world.
- tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
- na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ
- tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ
- kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā
- (SB 1.5.18)
Distress and happiness, they're already destined, according to our body. We have discussed this point. Take, for example, you American boys and girls: you have got a body by your previous activities. So your standard of living is better than other country. So actually, I see that even if you go outside your country, your standard of living is maintained. Because you have got already the body. Deha-yogena dehinām. Just like a hog. A hog, if he changes his country or position, if he's taken to heavenly planet, then what he will be? He will try to find out, "Where is stool?" Because the body is hog's body. Similarly, a Indian, because he has got Indian body, even if he goes to America, he'll try for spiritual upliftment. That is the nature. A tiger, if you take the civilized human society, he'll try to hunt.
So they do not understand that by superior management every living entity has been offered a different type of body for material distress and happiness. Everyone. It is not possible to change. Therefore, if we are intelligent enough, we should know that "My distress and happiness in this material world is already fixed up because I have got a particular type of body. Then when it is fixed up, then why . . . why I shall waste my time for so-called distress and happiness, when it is fixed up?"
Just like you are running in a train. You have already purchased a ticket for third class. Then how you can run on the first class? That is not possible. If you want to run on the first-class compartment, you must purchase a ticket. Similarly, we have already purchased a ticket according to our body. Therefore śāstra says that don't bother about this so-called distress and happiness. They are already fixed up. If you have got some energy, please utilize it how to develop in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't spoil your energy for so-called distress and happiness. That is mistake.
But the modern civilization is so foolish, they are simply trying for bodily distress and happiness and spoiling the energy which he could utilize for understanding God. This is the defect of modern civilization. Actually, foolish civilization. They do not know what is the value of life, how we can realize our ultimate goal of life, what is this body, what is God. There is no education. There is no enlightenment. Simply just like animals. The animals, I mean to say, trying; animal also trying to become comfortable. But it is not possible. Because he's animal, he cannot be as comfortable as a human being. That is not possible. It is destined.
So everyone is destined and fixed up, his comfortable life. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Therefore one who is intelligent, he should simply spend his energy how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is intelligence.