Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.14
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)“Translation: One who is too attached cannot understand that he is wasting his valuable life for the maintenance of his family. He also fails to understand that the purpose of human life, a life suitable for realization of the Absolute Truth, is being imperceptibly spoiled. However, he is very cleverly attentive to seeing that not a single farthing is lost by mismanagement. Thus although an attached person in material existence always suffers from threefold miseries, he does not develop a distaste for the way of material existence.”

Prabhupada:

kutumba posaya viyan nijayur na budhyate ’rtham vihatam pramattah sarvatra tapa-traya-duhkhitatma nirvidyate na sva-kutumba-ramah

So more we become implicated in this material world, the more we suffer from the threefold miseries, adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. But by the grace of maya we forget them on account of our pleasing atmosphere in the family—kutumbha-ramah. Therefore it is said ramante yoginah anante. Those who are yogis… There are many different types of yogis. Of all of them, bhakta-yogis, ramante yoginah anante. The difference between yogi and bhogi—there are two classes. Bhogi means those who are trying to enjoy this material world, they are called bhogi. And there is another word, rogi. Rogi means diseased. Neither yogi nor a bhogi. Yogi means transcendentalist, trying to go back to home, back to Godhead, they are called yogi. And those who are only interested with this material happiness, they are called rogi. So those who are yogis, they are first class.

yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47]

“Of all the yogis,” yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana, “always thinking of Krsna,” sraddhavan, “very faithful,” bhajate mam, “always engaged in My service, he is first-class yogi.”

So our business is how to become yogi, bhakta-yogi. That is the mission of life. Unfortunately, we are not given the opportunity. It is the duty of the guardians, family, natural guardian, father and mother, and political guardian, the government, the teacher, the guru; it is the duty to give facility, facility for achievement of the highest goal of life. Unfortunately, it is always… But at the present moment, on account of Kali-yuga, they do not know what is the aim of life, how the dependents should be trained up. It is the duty of the king to train up the citizens. This is… Everything is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. And the first business is how to lead men to the highest perfection of life. That is called siddhi. Siddhi means highest perfection of life. Samsiddhim paramam gatah. There are different kinds of siddhis. (noise in background) (aside:) What is that? Samsiddhim paramam gatah. There are different kinds of siddhis. The yogis, the mystic yogis, they also try to possess some siddhi—anima, laghima, mahima, prapti, isita, vasita. Eight kinds of siddhis. But such siddhis, all material.

So in the modern age, advancement of material civilization, they also do not care for these siddhis, material siddhis. Just like laghima. Laghima-siddhi, the yogis, they become so light that they can float in the air. So nowadays you have got airplane. The yogi can float alone in the air. Now five hundred passengers, they can float in the air. So there is no need of such yoga, yoga-siddhi. The science, the material science of craftsmanship, mechanical, they have done it. Or formerly these things were very magical. Still, the so-called yogis, they are trying to achieve such perfection. Sometimes they can float in the air, they can walk on the water, they can get anything they desire, prapti. Prapti, in my childhood there was my teacher. He said that he had his guru, a yogi. So he told me that his spiritual master, yogi, he inquired from his disciple, “What do you want to eat?” So he said that “We want to eat some pomegranate from Kabul.” So he said, “Yes, you can get it. Go into the room and you’ll find.” So they found a bunch of pomegranate just fresh taken from the tree. This is called prapti. The yogis, they can get all these facilities. Prapti siddhi. Isita, they can keep anyone under his control. Isita, vasita… There are eight kinds of asta-siddhi. But that is not perfection of life. Caitanya-caritamrta kaja says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami—sakali “asanta” krsna-bhakta—niskama, ataeva “santa”. Bhukti means karmis, they are also wanting something, material success. Mukti, the jnanis, they want liberation, to merge into the existence of Brahman. And siddhi, the yogis… So everyone wants something. Therefore they then you have to struggle for it. But krsna-bhakta niskama. Krsna-bhakta does not want anything. They simply want to be en-gaged in the service of the Lord. That is their satisfaction. That is the aim of life. Unfortunately we are not educated, we are not given training. Prahlada Maharaja’s subject matter is kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha [SB 7.6.1] From the very beginning of life, the children should be educated in bhagavata-dharma. That is the subject matter.

So he’s explaining in different ways. Kutumba-posaya viyan nijayur na budhyate ’rtham vihatam pramattah. So without fulfillment of our life’s mission, generally we become involved in maintaining the family, and all of a sudden death appears, then finished all our attempts. According to karma, we have to accept another body, maybe human body or not human body. In this way we become entrapped, and sarvatra tapa-traya-duhkhitatma. Tapa-traya, traya means three and tapa means tribulation, suffering. So tapa-traya, three kinds of tribulations: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Pertaining to the body, we feel so many troubles due to the body, due to the mind. Then adhibhautika, troubles offered by other living entities, and adhidaivika, troubles offered by nature or the demigods. In this way, sarvatra. It is not that in India there is tapa-traya and in America there is no tapa-traya. No, in America there is tapa-traya. “All right, I shall go to the heavenly planets.” No, there is also tapa-traya. Anywhere you go within this material world, as soon as you get this material body, then tapa-traya will be there.

So therefore our mission of life is how to get out of this tapa-traya, and Prahlada Maharaja is giving description how we remain involved in tapa-traya. Sarvatra tapa-traya-duhkhitatma. Repeatedly, tapa-traya, na nirvidyate sva-kutumba-ramah. Especially those who are family men, it is very difficult. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, after fiftieth year, one should give up the family responsibility, vanaprastha. From vana, vana means forest. And from vana the word vana has come. Prastha means “who has gone.” Pancasordhvam vanam vrajet. Vanam vrajet means to free from all family responsibility and prepare for going back to home, back to Godhead. But those who are too much attached to family life, na nirvidyate, being repeatedly frustrated, repeatedly they are put into trouble. Still. But if one wants regular advancement of spiritual life, he must retire at the age of fifty. That is Vedic civilization. Not that unless one is killed, he’s not going to retire. Even great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, he was seventy-eight years, and still he would not retire from this… Political life means greater family life. A family man is interested with his family members, and a political leader is interested with the whole, a group of family. The principle is the same. Ordinary family man, he’s looking after three, four members of the family, and a political leader is thinking that he’s responsible for so many millions of men. The idea is the same: the extended family. But extended or diminished family, sva-kutumba-ramah, he’s thinking, “I have to do something for them.” But when death comes, you are unable to do anything, you have to immediately leave the scene, and according to the laws of nature you’ll have to accept a body according to your karma. This is the law of nature.

So we should be very careful. This education is recommended by Prahlada Maharaja, should be given, just like these children, they are getting education, this Krsna consciousness movement. It will not go in vain. It is being impressed within the mind. Very fortunate children, they have got this association. Automatically, they are being trained up. That is Prahlada Maharaja’s mission. He was talking among his class friends who were as small as these boys were there, five years old. So they were very much eager to play, but Prahlada Maharaja was asking them, “No, don’t waste your time. Just be trained up in bhagavata-dharma or Krsna consciousness.” Bhagavata-dharma means Krsna consciousness.

Thank you very much. (end)