In this age people are generally, seventy-five or eighty percent or ninety percent, they are all sinful. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is the position of the people in this age. They are mandāḥ, all bad, all bad. You cannot distinguish who is bad and who is good. All bad, and very slow. They do not know what is the value of life, how to make this human form of life successful. Mandāḥ. Just like we are chanting all over the whole world that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and you will be happy." Still, they are not very much interested. Mandāḥ, slow: "All right, I shall do it at the time of death. Now let me enjoy." Mandāḥ. And manda-matayo. And if one is interested for spiritual advancement of life, he will go to some rascal, some avatāra, some yogī, some bluffer, some magician, as spiritual salvation. Mandaḥ manda-matayo. Why they are attracted by these rascals? Manda-bhāgyā: unfortunate. Kṛṣṇa says directly, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). They will not hear Kṛṣṇa. They will hear these rascals, so-called yogīs, so-called avatāras, so-called mahātmās. Manda-bhāgyāḥ. Therefore upadrutāḥ. They are always, constantly, disturbed. This is the position.
So therefore this age, Kali-yuga, is the ocean of faulty things. Doṣa-nidhi. Nidhi means ocean. And you will find, just like unfathomed water in the ocean, Pacific Ocean, similarly, this Kali-yuga is the ocean of unfathomed sinful activities. Kalau doṣa-nidhe. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, kalau doṣa-nidhe rājan hy asti eko mahān guṇaḥ (SB 12.3.51). In this age this ocean of faults, there is a very valuable thing. That is special concession to these fallen souls of this age. Because Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He is always anxious to deliver us. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham (BG 4.7). He is father. He is the seed-giving father of all living entities. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, mamaivāṁśaḥ. So He is very unhappy. Of course, He cannot be unhappy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). But at least, because we are His sons and we are rotting in this material world for sense gratification, in this way He is very sorry.
Therefore He comes and teaches us, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām (BG 18.66): "You rascal, why you are going here and there? Just surrender unto Me. I will give you. . ." But still, the rascals will not take.
- na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
- prapadyante narādhamāḥ
- māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
- āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ
- (BG 7.15)
Because they have been trained up with the atheistic temperament they will never surrender. They will go on committing sinful life, duṣkṛtina. They do not know what is the value of life, mūḍha. And in spite of getting this human form of life, still, they remain mūḍha. Therefore narādhamā, the lowest of the mankind. "No. They are passing M.A., B.A. examination, and so many titles, academic career." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. This kind of knowledge has no value. The value is already taken away. Therefore you will find highly educated person: he is committing sinful life, organized. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. He does not know how to live. Why? The basic principle is āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because they have taken the atheistic way of life, therefore they are suffering.
So this is the position of this age, and the one benefit is that kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. If you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. . . Particularly says, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya (SB 12.3.51). Kṛṣṇa and Rāma. Kṛṣṇa means including Rāma and other incarnations. This is the statement in the śāstra.