Kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā, tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham (SB 1.5.18). Our endeavor is to achieve happiness. That is our struggle for existence. Śāstra says, tal labhyate duḥkhavat. Duḥkhavat means . . . just like we don't want anything unhappy or miserable condition of life, but you get it. You don't endeavor for it. Nobody says: "Let there be fire in my house. Let my child die." Nobody aspires these things. Everyone thinks that, "My child may live. There may not be any danger. I'll get so much money." Nobody thinks of the opposite. But the opposite number comes. The catastrophes come. You don't pray for it. You don't go to the temple for praying, "My Lord, let there be fire in my house." Nobody goes. He goes for something better. So śāstra says that, "Which you do not pray for, still, it comes, duḥkhavat, without your invitation . . . similarly, whatever happiness you'll have to enjoy, that will also come." Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Therefore the conclusion is that, "Don't try for your so-called happiness or so-called distress. Try to achieve that position where you can understand Kṛṣṇa and get shelter at His lotus feet." This is human endeavor. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Upary adhaḥ. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says to Rūpa Gosvāmī:
- ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
- guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
- (CC Madhya 19.151)
We are wandering in this way, up and down, brahmāṇḍa bhramite. Brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva. If one is fortunate, he can get the information of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. He gets this information. So this assembly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is an attempt to make people fortunate—from the unfortunate position, to become fortunate. Everyone is unfortunate, at least in this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Now see everyone. Everywhere, there is simply problem. There is simply problem. One problem in one country, another problem in another country. There is strife, there is government . . . there is . . . even the president, and he is also, has to meet so many problems. At the end he has to be dragged down. Now he's going to die in the hospital. What to speak of others? The problem, only problem. Therefore everyone is unfortunate. This is the conclusion. You may think that, "I am very fortunate." President Nixon was thinking, "I am very fortunate. I have become the President of United States." But now he's realizing, "I am the most unfortunate."