Prabhupāda: So here is . . . the basic principle is yadi kṛṣṇa-kathāśrayam. Devotees are interested to discuss something if it is helping us how we can become more and more attached to Kṛṣṇa. That is the . . . otherwise, we are not interested in the matter of general principles of morality, social culture, ethics. They are required, but because this material world means it is a contaminated world, infected world, so here in this material world, so-called morality or immorality is the same because it is infected. Just try to understand. If there is an epidemic, infection, so in that condition, first of all what is the necessity? First thing is to disinfect the epidemic. In the infected area you cannot derive any benefit by discussing morality or immorality. The man is dying out of infection. So to a immediately dying person, who is sure to die due to infection, what is the use of giving him instruction of morality or immorality? He's going to die.
Similarly, in this world they have invented so many things—philanthropism, altruism, nationalism, this "ism," that "ism"—but without Kṛṣṇa. It is the same position. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness he's going to hell, however moral he may be, however pious he may be, so-called. If he does not know Kṛṣṇa, it has no meaning. Therefore, the first condition was that we are interested to hear about Mahārāja Parīkṣit's punishing the Kali provided it helps us to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise we have no interest. This should be the principle of devotees. We can take part in everything—politics, sociology or philanthropism, altruism, there are so many things they have discovered—provided by taking part in that department of activities we advance our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise reject. Don't take part; you'll be implicated. There, that, that philosophy, technique: dhari' mācha nā choṅya(?) pāni, that we should fish, but don't touch the water. If on the plea of fishing you become fall down in the water and you are gone, washed away, then what is this?
So sometimes we say that you take part in politics. Our business is not to take part in politics for acquiring big post like president or secretary or attorney general. What you will do that? We have no meaning for this post. Because for a devotee, what are these posts? Even the post of Lord Brahmā or Indra, the heavenly king, it has no meaning. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. That is stated by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. He says that kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalyam, the monism, to merge into the effulgence, the Absolute Truth, to become one, that is called kaivalyam, only spirit, that's all. So for a devotee this kaivalya perfection, monism, is as good as hellish condition of life. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And tridaśa-pūra ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūr means the higher, heavenly planets where big, big demigods live. Just like people are trying to go to this planet, that planet. So tri-daśa-pūr. Tri-daśa means thirty, three daśa, ten times . . . ah, three times ten. So there are thirty millions of demigods. And they have got different planets also. So they are promised, "If you come to this demigod's planet, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25), you will get so much happiness, you will live for so many years, you will have better standard of life, thousand times more than in the . . . these are . . . there are described in the Vedas. But a devotee says that this tri-daśa-pūra, this heavenly planet, is as good as phantasmagoria. They have no value for these things.
So the . . . this is the aspiration of the karmīs, to elevate life to higher standard of life. As the world is going on, the struggle is going on for having a higher standard of life. But they are becoming implicated. Now, there was bull-drawn cart or horse-drawn carriages. Now they have got nice cars also, but the problem is petrol. So the karmī world is like that. You create one kind of happiness, but side by side you create another kind of unhappiness. This is called karmī-yoga. Just like if you want to raise one big skyscraper building, then you have to dig somewhere to get the earth to make the bricks and the iron. You cannot manufacture without taking help of the nature. So if you raise here, you must dig here. This is karmī-yoga. If you want to enjoy something extraordinarily, you must create another unhappiness extraordinarily. This is called karmī-yoga. Therefore they are mūḍhas. Mūḍhas means rascals, asses. They do not know that "By increasing every year new motorcars, I am creating another problem. If there is no petrol, then the whole business will be spoiled." That they do not know. And because they do not know, they are called asses, mūḍha. The effect they do not know. So the tri-daśa-pūra, going to the heavenly planet . . . just like they are going to the moon planet, but problems after problem, contemplating how to make a platform in the sky to get petrol. The problem is there, not that very easily going. The problematic . . . things are problematic.
So these kinds of plans . . . just like Rāvaṇa. He said: "What is the use of becoming devotee? Oh, if you want to go to the heavenly planet, I shall make a solid staircase, reinforced concrete, and you can go there. There is no need of endeavoring for austerities, penances. No." So these people are trying like Rāvaṇa that, "We shall take you to the moon planet, Venus planet, this planet, and give us money. Now we spend. You go on spending . . . in future, in future." So these karmīs are just like phantasmagoria, will o' the wisp. And jñānī, they are also merging into the effulgence of Brahman. That is also another foolishness, because actually nobody can remain in that. Just like we are feeling happy here because we have got so many friends here, ladies and gentleman, and you are talking. Now, if it was vacant, nobody is here. Sometimes in our temple . . . that's not very good. Nobody likes to sit. Is it a fact? Every day, because we are so many, it is very pleasing to sit down.
So by nature a living entity wants society. "Society, friendship and love, divinely bestowed upon man." That is required. And if you live in a forlorn place, nobody's there, no society, no friend, then how long you can stay there? You cannot stay. Just like if you go on the sky by aeroplane, after four, five, six hours you . . . you become disturbed: "When the plane will get down? When the plane will get down?" This is natural. Why . . .? Why the plane . . .? You are flying very nicely, huh? There is no turmoil, no noise in the sky. Go nicely. No. Similarly, in the ship also, you travel for many days. So it will be disturbing. People are searching after "When we shall land in some place?" So the living entity, by nature, he wants association. Artificially he wants to . . . just like some of, some of the devotees, they like that, "Now we shall go in a solitary place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is a different position. It is not possible for the ordinary man. So going to the Brahman effulgence, simply realizing that, "I am a spirit soul, I have nothing to do," that will not be beneficial. You will again come down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If you do not get shelter, simply to remain in the impersonal Brahman effulgence will not make you happy. Artificially, you can stay there for some time; otherwise, you will again fall down in this material world for varieties of enjoyment.