Anyone who has got this bodily conception of life, and in relation to the body the family, country, society, we are thinking they are our kinsmen . . . and bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, the land which the body is produced, we are taking that land as worshipable. And when we go to the holy places . . . just like people come Jagannātha Purī. They take bath in the sea water, salile . . . (indistinct) . . . te sa buddhe salile, but do not associate with experienced men who are advanced in spiritual consciousness—such person is nothing but cow or ass or animals. Therefore the question has been raised, "What is God?" We shall be careful, at least in India, that we may not glide down more and more to the animal platform of life. (aside:) Why they are being driven away? Let them sit down. Ask them to sit down. That's all. Let them sit down. They'll simply hear. That will also benefit. So anyway . . . let them sit down. Even they cannot understand, if they hear the voice they will be benefited.
Therefore, because in this material world people are inclined to stand on the animal platform of life, that is dharmasya glāniḥ. So Kṛṣṇa said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). This is dharmasya glāniḥ. Means when human society forgets God, or Kṛṣṇa, or Bhagavān, and simply lives like ordinary animal, cats and dogs, for eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, such society is animal society. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca etat paśubhir narāṇām. This business—eating, sleeping, sex life and defense—this is common to the animal and to the human being. A cat, a dog also eat, and we are also eating. They are eating in their standard and we are eating in our standard. Sometimes we are eating less than their standard. So eating, the satisfaction of eating, anything you eat, the pleasure is the same. A hog is eating stool. He's enjoying the pleasure of eating. And a human being eating very nice palatable food, he's also enjoying the same pleasure. There is no difference. Similarly, sleeping also; similarly sex life. A dog is enjoying sex life on the street, and the king is enjoying sex life in the palace. But the pleasure is the same. Similarly defense. If you attack one animal, he knows how to defend himself. He has got also nails and jaws. And he . . . a tiger or a dog or a cat, if you attack he knows how to defend himself. We may defend with atomic weapon, but the business is the same: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ.
The particular business of human being is stated in the Vedānta-sūtra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. So these four principles of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam, there is no difference. Only difference is a human being can inquire about what is God, or what is Brahman, athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is the only business of human life. So a cat, a dog cannot inquire about Brahman, but the gentleman inquire about what is God. Because he is human being he could inquire like that. So there is no cause of disappointment. At least our young men in India, at least still inquiring. That is the culture, "What is God?"