Kṛṣṇa says, that "You do not become disturbed by these so-called artificial pains and pleasures. Don't be disturbed." Śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. Āgamāpāyino 'nityas tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya, śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). Just like we are covering because it is cold, but actually, as spirit soul I am not affected. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣa. In the Vedas it is said that the soul is unaffected with this material condition. Several times we have given this example, that a person has got a good car, and it is somehow or other broken, and he becomes upset, because his car . . . although he knows that "I am not this car," but his thoughts being absorbed by the attraction of the car, when the car is broken someway or other, he becomes almost unconscious.
So this is due to our attachment. So spiritual life means how to get out of this attachment. This is spiritual life. We are "No, what is the wrong if we are attached?" The wrong is that if so long we remain attached to these temporary illusory things, you'll not be able to get out of it. That is the whole program. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya. These pains and pleasure is due to this skin; it is not real. But because you are attached to the skin and bone, therefore you feel sometimes pains and pleasure. But that will not endure. Better tolerate it. Tolerate. That is spiritual, tapasya. That is called tapasya. When one can learn how to tolerate these temporary so-called pains and pleasure, then he is advanced.
So if one is simply attached to these pains and pleasure of material skin and bone, then how he can be free from the material condition of life? Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja is describing. It has to be . . . Prahlāda Mahārāja's proposal is that spiritual life should begin from very childhood, kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhagavatān (SB 7.6.1). Otherwise that attachment will continue, and you'll never be able to give up this attachment, and the spiritual. . . material condition of life, the accepting one body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), accepting one body and accepting another body, this will continue. But the real business of human life is to end this materialistic way of life, that die and again take another . . . janma . . . janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), to be implicated in these four things. Then our sufferings will never end. This is spiritual life. Spiritual life means to end the sufferings of material existence. That is Prahlāda . . . Dharmān bhagavat . . . durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma (SB 7.6.1).
So in the human form of life the children should be trained up to spiritual life. That is the duty of the father and mother. Gṛheṣu saktas. If one remains attached to family life, then gṛheṣu saktasya pramattas. Pramattas means . . . to remain attached to this family life means madness. Means madness. It is very difficult to understand this madness, especially in this age, Kali-yuga, because we have very little knowledge. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). The position of the people at the present age, Kali-yuga, they're all bad; nobody is good. Mandāḥ, all very slow. They do not know what is the aim of life, how to fulfill the goal of life, mandāḥ. And manda-matayo: and if somebody is interested, they will manufacture some rascaldom. Manda-matayo. And everyone is manda-bhāgyā, unfortunate. Unfortunate means that they got this opportunity, human life, to end all the problems of life, but they'll not take care of it. Manda-bhāgyā. And besides that, upadrutāḥ, embarrassed by so many difficulties, especially these men in Kali-yuga will be harassed by insufficient supply of foodstuff, and taxation by the government. Durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9). This is the statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Actually the food price is increasing daily. Nobody knows where it will end. This is called . . . even people will not get alms. Alms, to beg from door to door and live on alms and begging, this will not be possible. Nobody will give alms. Suppose there is ten rupees' kilo rice, and if a sannyāsī goes to a gṛhastha, "Give me some alms, rice," they'll consider in terms of price: "So much rice I have to give. This is two rupees' worth. Give him four annas, go away!" So durbhikṣa, this is called durbhikṣa. Even begging will be very difficult. Begging is the last stage of livelihood, but he'll not be able to beg even. This is the age of Kali-yuga. Durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9), gacchanti giri-kānanam. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti . . . people will be so much embarrassed that . . . now they are not voluntarily giving up the family life, but he will be forced to give up. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā. Dāra means wife and draviṇā means money. The whole world is going on, this basis, women and money. So dāra-draviṇā, he'll be forced to give up. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti (SB 12.2.8).
So on the whole this age is very, very difficult to live peacefully. It is not possible. It is . . . material life is always full of difficulties, especially in this age, so people should be given instruction and training how to give up this materialistic way of life. The pramattaḥ word is used in Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction also: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Pramattaḥ: everyone is madman. That's a fact. Some years ago one man was condemned to death, and he pleaded that "While I committed this murder, I was mad." So he was examined. He was to be examined by the civil servant, and the civil servant, when he came to the court, he said, "My lord, so far my experience goes, everyone is mad. So why do you ask me to examine this man? If to become madman and be excused for being hanged, then you can do so, but my opinion is everyone is mad, more or less." So this statement is also confirmed by the Bhāgavatam and all the śāstras.