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Ask big, big scientists, philosopher, "What is the goal of life?" They do not know. They simply theorize, that's all. The real goal of life is to understand God. So that can be done, as it is said here, that you make association

Expressions researched:
"Ask big, big scientists, philosopher, "What is the goal of life?" They do not know. They simply theorize, that's all. The real goal of life is to understand God. So that can be done, as it is said here, that you make association"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Without trying to understand the Absolute Truth, if we simply are busy how to eat little comfortably, how to sleep little comfortably or how to have sex little conveniently, these are animal activities. These are animal activities. Human activity means to know what is God. That is human activity. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Without knowing this, they are struggling for existence. They want to be happy by adjusting the external energy, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. And people, leaders, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Ask big, big scientists, philosopher, "What is the goal of life?" They do not know. They simply theorize, that's all. The real goal of life is to understand God. So that can be done, as it is said here, that you make association . . .

Prabhupāda:

sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke
panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ
suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra
nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ
(SB 6.1.17)

So the śāstra says that the association of devotees . . . Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ means devotees. Nārāyaṇa-para: one who has taken Nārāyaṇa as the ultimate goal of life. Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu—They are of the same tattva, viṣṇu-tattva. So people do not know this, that to approach the platform of worshiping Nārāyaṇa or Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, that is the most exalted and, what is called, assured platform. Just like we get insurance, this is assured. Assured by whom? Assured by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is assuring, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa man . . . (BG 9.30). So many assurances there. Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa. Kṛṣṇa says personally that "I shall protect you." People suffer on account of sinful reaction, ignorance. Out of ignorance, they commit sinful action, and sinful action reacts. Just like a child, ignorant, he touches blazing fire and it burns the hand, and he suffers. You cannot say that "Child is innocent, and the fire has burned." No. This is nature's law. Ignorance. So sinful activities are done out of ignorance. Therefore one should be in knowledge. Ignorance of law is no excuse. If you go to the court and if you plead, "Sir, I did not know that I have to suffer, I have to go to imprisonment for six months because I have stolen. This was unknown to me . . ." No. Known or unknown, you must go to the jail.

Therefore the greatest contribution to the human society is knowledge. To keep them in ignorance, in darkness, that is not human society, that is cats' and dogs' . . . Because they are in ignorance, nobody can give them knowledge, neither they can take. Therefore in the human society there is institution for giving knowledge. That is the greatest contribution. And that knowledge, the supreme knowledge, is there in the Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. And all the Vedas ascertain that one should know what is God. That is wanted. (aside:) Don't make that sound. Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. People do not know it. This whole material world, they do not know what is the actual knowledge. They are busy in temporary things for sense gratification, but they are not aware what is actual the goal of knowledge. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31): the goal of knowledge is to know Viṣṇu, God. That is goal of knowledge. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā (SB 1.2.10). This life, the human form of life, is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. That is life. And without trying to understand the Absolute Truth, if we simply are busy how to eat little comfortably, how to sleep little comfortably or how to have sex little conveniently, these are animal activities. These are animal activities. Human activity means to know what is God. That is human activity. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Without knowing this, they are struggling for existence. They want to be happy by adjusting the external energy, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. And people, leaders, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Ask big, big scientists, philosopher, "What is the goal of life?" They do not know. They simply theorize, that's all. The real goal of life is to understand God. So that can be done, as it is said here, that you make association . . .

(aside:) What is the number of the verse?

Nitāi: Seventeen.

Prabhupāda: Sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ. Our life is to attain the transcendental platform of knowledge. That is our goal of life. Then how it can be done? Now, suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ. You associate with that cultural institution where there are suśīlāḥ, very well behaved. Now, find out any institution throughout the whole world who are suśīla. You will find here in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement: no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication. You won't find anywhere. This is called suśīla, well behaved. Suśīla means . . . Śīla means behavior, or custom. Here you will find they are taking bath three times, they are changing cloth, everything neat and clean, personally their character, their behavior suśīla. Suśīlāḥ sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ means saintly.

Page Title:Ask big, big scientists, philosopher, "What is the goal of life?" They do not know. They simply theorize, that's all. The real goal of life is to understand God. So that can be done, as it is said here, that you make association
Compiler:Soham
Created:2023-03-04, 07:45:24
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1