THE ACTIVITIES OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE SOUL

April 3, 2018 / The Hare Krishna Revolution

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

There is a class of men. They are very much anxious to serve the human society. But they are not anxious to serve the animal society. The animal society may be killed for the satisfaction of the human society. Therefore, unless you come to the point of ātmā (soul), whatever extended selfishness there is, it is selfishness. There is no broadmindedness. And broadmindedness (comes) when you come to the platform of ātmā. Īçāvāsyam idam sarvam [Isopanisad mantra 1]. When you come to the point of God, then you see, “Oh, everything belongs to God. Here is an animal. He is also as good as I am, because he is also soul.” So ātma-tattvam (needs) to be discussed, but they are not prepared. Therefore, grheṣu grha-medhinām. So what is their business, those who are blind to the ātma-tattvam? So that business is described in the next verse.

nidrayā hriyate naktam

vyavāyena ca vā vayah

divā cārthehayā rājan

kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā

[SB 2.1.3]

So their business is very nicely explained. What is that? Nidrayā, sleeping. Hriyate – They waste their life by sleeping. When? At night. Nidrayā hriyate naktam. Or they waste their time in sex life. At night there are two things – one who has no advantage of sex life, he sleeps alone and if he has got advantage of sex life, he enjoys. So at night they waste their life in this way. Nidrayā hriyate naktam vyavāyena ca vā vayah [SB 2.1.3]. In this way their life is being wasted. And at daytime? Now, divā cārthehayā rājan. At the daytime, simply “Where is money? Where is money?” Artha. Artha means… Because to maintain this body we require money. Divā cārthehayā rājan. All right, if one gets money, then next? Kutumba-bharanena vā. Then shopping. As soon as you get money then shopping, the wife’s bill. Yes. So in this way, day and night, they are simply under the impression of this bodily conception of life.

[An excerpt from a lecture delivered on the Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.2-5 delivered on October 23, 1968 in Montreal, Canada]

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