The most wonderful thing that we have experienced, that "My father is dead, my father's father is dead, so I shall also be, die." Who will stay? Where is the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest? He never thinks. This is the eighth wonder

Expressions researched:
"This is the most wonderful thing that we have experienced, that" |"My father is dead, my father's father is dead, so I shall also be, die" |"Who will stay? Where is the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest? He never thinks. This is the eighth wonder"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Every moment we see that someone is going to the court of Yamaraja—that means death. That is our experience, everything. Ahany ahani lokāni gacchanti yama-mandiraṁ śeṣāḥ sthitam icchanti. Śeṣāḥ, who is not yet dead, still alive, he thinks, "I will never die. My dear friend is dying. That's all right. But I'll . . . your father is dead. No, still I will be . . ." Śeṣāḥ sthitam icchanti kim āścaryam ataḥ param. This is the most wonderful thing that we have experienced, that "My father is dead, my father's father is dead, so I shall also be, die, my sons will die." Well, who will stay? Where is the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest? He never thinks of it. This is the eighth wonder.

760526 - Lecture SB 06.01.26 - Honolulu

Arjuna was lamenting, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are asking me to fight with my relatives. Then suppose I become victorious and they're killed. Then whom I shall show the kingdom?" That was his objection. (laughter) "If everyone is killed on the other side, my friends and relatives, and suppose I become victorious, then whom I shall show my prosperity?" So āpta, suta, ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta-āpta and vitta, and money. So this, one after another. First wife, then apartment, then field for agriculture, then friends, then children, then money, bank balance. In this way he does not know he's becoming entangled more and more. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta-āpta-vittaiḥ, janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8). He's thinking that "Now everything is settled up; I am very happy." (laughter) And next day death comes and kicks him out: "Get out!" That he does not understand. That he does not understand, that "Any moment death can come and kick me out of all this arrangement." That is ignorance. That is foolishness.

So here, bhojayan pāyayan mūḍho na veda āgatam antakam (SB 6.1.26). He was eighty-eight years old, so he was busy in maintaining the family, children, everything. But he never thought that "Death will come all of a sudden without waiting for my settle arrangement." That is the eighth wonder. This question was asked by Dharmarāja to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja: "What are the wonders, the most, I mean, wonderful wonders? What is that?" So he said, "This is the most wonderful thing." "What is that?" Ahany ahani gacchanti lokāni yama-mandiram (Mahābhārata). Every moment we see that someone is going to the court of Yamaraja—that means death. That is our experience, everything. Ahany ahani lokāni gacchanti yama-mandiraṁ śeṣāḥ sthitam icchanti. Śeṣāḥ, who is not yet dead, still alive, he thinks, "I will never die. My dear friend is dying. That's all right. But I'll . . . your father is dead. No, still I will be . . ." Śeṣāḥ sthitam icchanti kim āścaryam ataḥ param. This is the most wonderful thing that we have experienced, that "My father is dead, my father's father is dead, so I shall also be, die, my sons will die." Well, who will stay? Where is the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest? He never thinks of it. This is the eighth wonder.