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sri-prahradah uvaca—Prahlada Maharaja said; kaumarah—in the tender age of childhood; acaret—should practice; prajnah—one who is intelligent; dharman—occupational duties; bhagavatan—which are devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; iha—in this life; durlabham—very rarely obtained; manusam—human; janma—birth; tat—that; api—even; adhruvam—impermanent, temporary; artha-dam—full of meaning.

Prahlada Maharaja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.

The whole purpose of Vedic civilization and of reading the Vedas is to attain the perfect stage of devotional service in the human form of life. According to the Vedic system, therefore, from the very beginning of life the brahmacarya system is introduced so that from one’s very childhood—from the age of five years—one can practice modifying one’s human activities so as to engage perfectly in devotional service. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (2.40), svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat: “Even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” Modern civilization, not referring to the verdicts of Vedic literature, is so cruel to the members of human society that instead of teaching children to become brahmacaris, it teaches mothers to kill their children even in the womb, on the plea of curbing the increase of population. And if by chance a child is saved, he is educated only for sense gratification. Gradually, throughout the entire world, human society is losing interest in the perfection of life. Indeed, men are living like cats and dogs, spoiling the duration of their human lives by actually preparing to transmigrate again to the degraded species among the 8,400,000 forms of life. The Krsna consciousness movement is anxious to serve human society by teaching people to perform devotional service, which can save a human being from being degraded again to animal life. As already stated by Prahlada Maharaja, bhagavata-dharma consists of sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam/ arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]. In all the schools, colleges and universities, and at home, all children and youths should be taught to hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, they should be taught to hear the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, to put them into practice in their lives, and thus to become strong in devotional service, free from fear of being degraded to animal life. Following bhagavata-dharma has been made extremely easy in this age of Kali. The sastra says:

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha

[Adi 17.21]

One need only chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Everyone engaged in the practice of chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra will be completely cleansed, from the core of his heart, and be saved from the cycle of birth and death.

SB7.6.2

TEXT 2

yatha hi purusasyeha

visnoh padopasarpanam

yad esa sarva-bhutanam

priya atmesvarah suhrt

yatha—in order that; hi—indeed; purusasya—of a living entity; iha—here; visnoh—of Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pada-upasarpanam—approaching the lotus feet; yat—because; esah—this; sarva-bhutanam—of all living entities; priyah—the dear one; atma-isvarah—the master of the soul, the Supersoul; suhrt—the best well-wisher and friend.

The human form of life affords one a chance to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Visnu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings.

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (5.29):

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” Simply by understanding these three facts—that the Supreme Lord, Visnu, is the proprietor of the entire creation, that He is the best well-wishing friend of all living entities, and that He is the supreme enjoyer of everything—one becomes peaceful and happy. For this transcendental happiness, the living entity has wandered throughout the universe in different forms of life and different planetary systems, but because he has forgotten his intimate relationship with Visnu, he has merely suffered, life after life. Therefore, the educational system in the human form of life should be so perfect that one will understand his intimate relationship with God, or Visnu. Every living entity has an intimate relationship with God. One should therefore glorify the Lord in the adoration of santa-rasa or revive his eternal relationship with Visnu as a servant in dasya-rasa, a friend in sakhya-rasa, a parent in vatsalya-rasa or a conjugal lover in madhurya-rasa. All these relationships are on the platform of love. Visnu is the center of love for everyone, and therefore the duty of everyone is to engage in the loving service of the Lord. As stated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Bhag. 3.25.38), yesam aham priya atma sutas ca sakha guruh suhrdo daivam istam. In any form of life, we are related with Visnu, who is the most beloved, the Supersoul, son, friend and guru. Our eternal relationship with God can be revived in the human form of life, and that should be the goal of education. Indeed, that is the perfection of life and the perfection of education.

SB7.6.3

TEXT 3

sukham aindriyakam daitya

deha-yogena dehinam

sarvatra labhyate daivad

yatha duhkham ayatnatah

sukham—happiness; aindriyakam—with reference to the material senses; daityah—O my dear friends born in demoniac families; deha-yogena—because of possessing a particular type of material body; dehinam—of all embodied living entities; sarvatra—everywhere (in any form of life); labhyate—is obtainable; daivat—by a superior arrangement; yatha—just as; duhkham—unhappiness; ayatnatah—without endeavor.

Prahlada Maharaja continued: My dear friends born of demoniac families, the happiness perceived with reference to the sense objects by contact with the body can be obtained in any form of life, according to one’s past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained without endeavor, just as we obtain distress.

In the material world, in any form of life, there is some so-called happiness and so-called distress. No one invites distress in order to suffer, but still it comes. Similarly, even if we do not endeavor to obtain the advantages of material happiness, we shall obtain them automatically. This happiness and distress are obtainable in any form of life, without endeavor. Thus there is no need to waste time and energy fighting against distress or working very hard for happiness. Our only business in the human form of life should be to revive our relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus become qualified to return home, back to Godhead. Material happiness and distress come as soon as we accept a material body, regardless of what form. We cannot avoid such happiness and distress under any circumstances. The best use of human life, therefore, lies in reviving our relationship with the Supreme Lord, Visnu.

SB7.6.4

TEXT 4

tat-prayaso na kartavyo

yata ayur-vyayah param

na tatha vindate ksemam

mukunda-caranambujam

tat—for that (sense gratification and economic development); prayasah—endeavor; na—not; kartavyah—to be done; yatah—from which; ayuh-vyayah—waste of the duration of life; param—only or ultimately; na—nor; tatha—in that way; vindate—enjoys; ksemam—the ultimate goal of life; mukunda—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can deliver one from the material clutches; carana-ambujam—the lotus feet.

Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit. If one’s endeavors are directed toward Krsna consciousness, one can surely attain the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no such benefit from engaging oneself in economic development.

We see materialistic persons busily engaged in economic development all day and all night, trying to increase their material opulence, but even if we suppose that they get some benefit from such endeavors, that does not solve the real problem of their lives. Nor do they know what the real problem of life is. This is due to a lack of spiritual education. Especially in the present age, every man is in darkness, in the bodily conception of life, not knowing anything of the spirit soul and its needs. Misguided by the blind leaders of society, people consider the body to be everything, and they are engaged in trying to keep the body materially comfortable. Such a civilization is condemned because it does not lead humanity toward knowing the real goal of life. People are simply wasting time and the valuable gift of the human form because a human being who does not cultivate spiritual life but dies like the cats and dogs is degraded in his next life. From human life, such a person is put into the cycle of continuous birth and death. Thus one loses the true benefit of human life, which is to become Krsna conscious and solve life’s problems.

SB7.6.5

TEXT 5

tato yateta kusalah

ksemaya bhavam asritah

sariram paurusam yavan

na vipadyeta puskalam

tatah—therefore; yateta—should endeavor; kusalah—an intelligent man interested in the ultimate goal of life; ksemaya—for the real benefit of life, or for liberation from material bondage; bhavam asritah—who is in material existence; sariram—the body; paurusam—human; yavat—as long as; na—not; vipadyeta—fails; puskalam—stout and strong.

Therefore, while in material existence [bhavam asritah], a person fully competent to distinguish wrong from right must endeavor to achieve the highest goal of life as long as the body is stout and strong and is not embarrassed by dwindling.

As stated by Prahlada Maharaja at the beginning of this chapter, kaumara acaret prajnah. The word prajna refers to one who is experienced and who can distinguish right from wrong. Such a person should not waste his energy and valuable human lifetime simply working like a cat or dog to develop his economic condition.

For one word in this verse there are two readings—bhavam asritah and bhayam asritah—but accepting the meaning of either of them will bring one to the same conclusion. Bhayam asritah indicates that the materialistic way of life is always fearful because at every step there is danger. Materialistic life is full of anxieties and fear (bhayam). Similarly, accepting the reading bhavam asritah, the word bhavam refers to unnecessary trouble and problems. For want of Krsna consciousness, one is put into bhavam, being perpetually embarrassed by birth, death, old age and disease. Thus one is surely full of anxieties.

Human society should be divided into a social system of brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras, but everyone can engage in devotional service. If one wants to live without devotional service, his status as a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra certainly has no meaning. It is said, sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah: whether one is in a higher or lower division, one certainly falls down for want of Krsna consciousness. A sane man, therefore, is always fearful of falling from his position. This is a regulative principle. One should not fall from his exalted position. The highest goal of life can be achieved as long as one’s body is stout and strong. We should therefore live in such a way that we keep ourselves always healthy and strong in mind and intelligence so that we can distinguish the goal of life from a life full of problems. A thoughtful man must act in this way, learning to distinguish right from wrong, and thus attain the goal of life.

SB7.6.6

TEXT 6

pumso varsa-satam hy ayus

tad-ardham cajitatmanah

nisphalam yad asau ratryam

sete ’ndham prapitas tamah

pumsah—of every human being; varsa-satam—one hundred years; hi—indeed; ayuh—duration of life; tat—of that; ardham—half; ca—and; ajita-atmanah—of a person who is a servant of his senses; nisphalam—without profit, without meaning; yat—because; asau—that person; ratryam—at night; sete—sleeps; andham—ignorance (forgetting his body and soul); prapitah—being completely possessed of; tamah—darkness.

Every human being has a maximum duration of life of one hundred years, but for one who cannot control his senses, half of those years are completely lost because at night he sleeps twelve hours, being covered by ignorance. Therefore such a person has a lifetime of only fifty years.

Lord Brahma, a human being and an ant all live for one hundred years, but their lifetimes of one hundred years are different from one another. This world is a relative world, and its relative moments of time are different. Thus the one hundred years of Brahma are not the same as the one hundred years of a human being. From Bhagavad-gita we times 1,000 years (sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh [Bg. 8.17]). Thus the varsa-satam, or one hundred years, are relatively different according to time, person and circumstances. As far as human beings are concerned, the calculation given here is right for the general public. Although one has a maximum of one hundred years of life, by sleeping one loses fifty years. Eating, sleeping, sex life and fear are the four bodily necessities, but to utilize the full duration of life a person desiring to advance in spiritual consciousness must reduce these activities. That will give him an opportunity to fully use his lifetime.

SB7.6.7

TEXT 7

mugdhasya balye kaisore

kridato yati vimsatih

jaraya grasta-dehasya

yaty akalpasya vimsatih

mugdhasya—of a person bewildered or not in perfect knowledge; balye—in childhood; kaisore—in boyhood; kridatah—playing; yati—passes; vimsatih—twenty years; jaraya—by invalidity; grasta-dehasya—of a person overcome; yati—passes; akalpasya—without determination, being unable to execute even material activities; vimsatih—another twenty years.

In the tender age of childhood, when everyone is bewildered, one passes ten years. Similarly, in boyhood, engaged in sporting and playing, one passes another ten years. In this way, twenty years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when one is an invalid, unable to perform even material activities, one passes another twenty years wastefully.

Without Krsna consciousness, one wastes twenty years in childhood and boyhood and another twenty years in old age, when one cannot perform any material activities and is full of anxiety about what is to be done by his sons and grandsons and how one’s estate should be protected. Half of these years are spent in sleep. Furthermore, one wastes another thirty years sleeping at night during the rest of his life. Thus seventy out of one hundred years are wasted by a person who does not know the aim of life and how to utilize this human form.

sesam grhesu saktasya

pramattasyapayati hi

durapurena—which is never fulfilled; kamena—by a strong aspiration to enjoy the material world; mohena—by bewilderment; ca—also; baliyasa—which is strong and formidable; sesam—the remaining years of life; grhesu—to family life; saktasya—of one who is too attached; pramattasya—mad; apayati—wastefully pass; hi—indeed.

One whose mind and senses are uncontrolled becomes increasingly attached to family life because of insatiable lusty desires and very strong illusion. In such a madman’s life, the remaining years are also wasted because even during those years he cannot engage himself in devotional service.

This is the account of one hundred years of life. Although in this age a lifetime of one hundred years is generally not possible, even if one has one hundred years, the calculation is that fifty years are wasted in sleeping, twenty years in childhood and boyhood, and twenty years in invalidity (jara-vyadhi). This leaves only a few more years, but because of too much attachment to household life, those years are also spent with no purpose, without God consciousness. Therefore, one should be trained to be a perfect brahmacari in the beginning of life and then to be perfect in sense control, following the regulative principles, if one becomes a householder. From household life one is ordered to accept vanaprastha life and go to the forest and then accept sannyasa. That is the perfection of life. From the very beginning of life, those who are ajitendriya, who cannot control their senses, are educated only for sense gratification, as we have seen in the Western countries. Thus the entire duration of a life of even one hundred years is wasted and misused, and at the time of death one transmigrates to another body, which may not be human. At the end of one hundred years, one who has not acted as a human being in a life of tapasya (austerity and penance) must certainly be embodied again in a body like those of cats, dogs and hogs. Therefore this life of lusty desires and sense gratification is extremely risky.

SB7.6.9

TEXT 9

ko grhesu puman saktam

atmanam ajitendriyah

sneha-pasair drdhair baddham

utsaheta vimocitum

kah—what; grhesu—to household life; puman—man; saktam—very much attached; atmanam—his own self, the soul; ajita-indriyah—who has not conquered the senses; sneha-pasaih—by the ropes of affection; drdhaih—very strong; baddham—bound hand and foot; utsaheta—is able; vimocitum—to liberate from material bondage.

What person too attached to household life due to being unable to control his senses can liberate himself? An attached householder is bound very strongly by ropes of affection for his family [wife, children and other relatives].

ko nv artha-trsnam visrjet

Prahlada Maharaja’s first proposal was kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha: [SB 7.6.1] “One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements.” Dharman bhagavatan means the religious principle of reviving our relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For this purpose Krsna personally advises, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] “Give up all other duties and surrender unto Me.” While in the material world we manufacture so many duties in the name of so many isms, but our actual duty is to free ourselves from the cycle of birth, death, old age and disease. For this purpose, one must first be liberated from material bondage, and especially from household life. Household life is actually a kind of license for a materially attached person by which to enjoy sense gratification under regulative principles. Otherwise there is no need of entering household life.

Before entering household life, one should be trained as a brahmacari, living under the care of the guru, whose place is known as the guru-kula. Brahmacari guru-kule vasan danto guror hitam (Bhag. 7.12.1). From the very beginning, a brahmacari is trained to sacrifice everything for the benefit of the guru. A brahmacari is advised to go begging alms door to door, addressing all women as mother, and whatever he collects goes to the benefit of the guru. In this way he learns how to control his senses and sacrifice everything for the guru. When he is fully trained, if he likes he is allowed to marry. Thus he is not an ordinary grhastha who has learned only how to satisfy his senses. A trained grhastha can gradually give up household life and go to the forest to become increasingly enlightened in spiritual life and at last take sannyasa. Prahlada Maharaja explained to his father that to be freed from all material anxieties one should go to the forest. Hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam. One should give up his household, which is a place for going further and further down into the darkest regions of material existence. The first advice, therefore, is that one must give up household life (grham andha-kupam). However, if one prefers to remain in the dark well of household life because of uncontrolled senses, he becomes increasingly entangled by ropes of affection for his wife, children, servants, house, money and so on. Such a person cannot attain liberation from material bondage. Therefore children should be taught from the very beginning of life to be first-class brahmacaris. Then it will be possible for them to give up household life in the future.

To return home, back to Godhead, one must be completely free from material attachment. Therefore, bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidya, the art that can help one develop a distaste for material enjoyment.

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam

“By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.” (Bhag. 1.2.7) If one engages in devotional service from the beginning of life, he easily attains vairagya-vidya, or asakti, detachment, and becomes jitendriya, the controller of his senses. One who perfectly engages in devotional service is therefore called gosvami or svami, master of the senses. Unless one is master of the senses, he should not accept the renounced order of life, sannyasa. A strong inclination for sense enjoyment is the cause of the material body. Without full knowledge one cannot be unattached to material enjoyment, but as long as one is not in that position one is not fit to return home, back to Godhead.

SB7.6.10

TEXT 10

pranebhyo ’pi ya ipsitah

yam krinaty asubhih presthais

taskarah sevako vanik

kah—who; nu—indeed; artha-trsnam—a strong desire to acquire money; visrjet—can give up; pranebhyah—than life; api—indeed; yah—which; ipsitah—more desired; yam—which; krinati—tries to acquire; asubhih—with his own life; presthaih—very dear; taskarah—a thief; sevakah—a professional servant; vanik—a merchant.

Money is so dear that one conceives of money as being sweeter than honey. Therefore, who can give up the desire to accumulate money, especially in household life? Thieves, professional servants [soldiers] and merchants try to acquire money even by risking their very dear lives.

How money can be dearer than life is indicated in this verse. Thieves may enter the house of a rich man to steal money at the risk of their lives. Because of trespassing, they may be killed by guns or attacked by watchdogs, but still they try to commit burglary. Why do they risk their lives? Only to get some money. Similarly, a professional soldier is recruited into the army, and he accepts such service, with the risk of dying on the battlefield, only for the sake of money. In the same way, merchants go from one country to another on boats at the risk of their lives, or they dive into the water of the sea to collect pearls and valuable gems. Thus it is practically proved—and everyone will admit—that money is sweeter than honey. One may risk everything to acquire money, and this is especially true of rich men who are too attached to household life. Formerly, of course, the members of the higher castes—the brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas (everyone but the sudras)—were trained in the guru-kula to adhere to a life of renunciation and sense control by practicing brahmacarya and mystic yoga. Then they were allowed to enter household life. There have consequently been many instances in which great kings and emperors have given up household life. Although they were extremely opulent and were the masters of kingdoms, they could give up all their possessions because they were trained early as brahmacaris. Prahlada Maharaja’s advice is therefore very appropriate:

kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam

[SB 7.6.1]

“One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.” Human society should take advantage of this instruction.

SB7.6.11-13

TEXTS 11–13

katham priyaya anukampitayah

sangam rahasyam rucirams ca mantran

suhrtsu tat-sneha-sitah sisunam

kalaksaranam anurakta-cittah

putran smarams ta duhitrr hrdayya

bhratrn svasrr va pitarau ca dinau

grhan manojnoru-paricchadams ca

vrttis ca kulyah pasu-bhrtya-vargan

tyajeta kosas-krd ivehamanah

karmani lobhad avitrpta-kamah

aupasthya-jaihvam bahu-manyamanah

katham virajyeta duranta-mohah

katham—how; priyayah—of the dearmost wife; anukampitayah—always affectionate and compassionate; sangam—the association; rahasyam—solitary; ruciran—very pleasing and acceptable; ca—and; mantran—instructions; suhrtsu—to the wife and children; tat-sneha-sitah—being bound by their affection; sisunam—to the small children; kala-aksaranam—speaking in broken language; anurakta-cittah—a person whose mind is attracted; putran—the sons; smaran—thinking of; tah—them; duhitrh—the daughters (married and staying at the homes of their husbands); hrdayyah—always situated in the core of the heart; bhratrn—the brothers; svasrh va—or the sisters; pitarau—father and mother; ca—and; dinau—who in old age are mostly invalids; grhan—household affairs; manojna—very attractive; uru—much; paricchadan—furniture; ca—and; vrttih—big sources of income (industry, business); ca—and; kulyah—connected with the family; pasu—of animals (cows, elephants and other household animals); bhrtya—servants and maidservants; vargan—groups; tyajeta—can give up; kosah-krt—the silkworm; iva—like; ihamanah—performing; karmani—different activities; lobhat—because of insatiable desires; avitrpta-kamah—whose increasing desires are not satisfied; aupasthya—pleasure from the genitals; jaihvam—and the tongue; bahu-manyamanah—considering as very important; katham—how; virajyeta—is able to give up; duranta-mohah—being in great illusion.

How can a person who is most affectionate to his family, the core of his heart being always filled with their pictures, give up their association? Specifically, a wife is always very kind and sympathetic and always pleases her husband in a solitary place. Who could give up the association of such a dear and affectionate wife? Small children talk in broken language, very pleasing to hear, and their affectionate father always thinks of their sweet words. How could he give up their association? One’s elderly parents and one’s sons and daughters are also very dear. A daughter is especially dear to her father, and while living at her husband’s house she is always in his mind. Who could give up that association? Aside from this, in household affairs there are many decorated items of household furniture, and there are also animals and servants. Who could give up such comforts? The attached householder is like a silkworm, which weaves a cocoon in which it becomes imprisoned, unable to get out. Simply for the satisfaction of two important senses—the genitals and the tongue—one is bound by material conditions. How can one escape?