Actually, superficially we see that material advancement of material science, people have got so many machines, so many facilities. But actually, they are in trouble. Just like I gave you one example: the computer machine. It can work for thousands of men. So thousands of men means the thousands of men must be unemployed. And especially in your country they are taking advantage of this machine, because the salary is . . . if you want to pay to the worker a big, big salary, so they want to save. They are taking machine, and they think they will save money, so many worker. But the workers are becoming unemployed. The government has to give them welfare. The government will tax. That's all. (laughter.) Government will not give money, welfare, from government's pocket. The government will increase your taxation.
So you are . . . you stop payment by importing some machine; now you have to pay that money to the government. This is called entanglement. This is a crude example. I don't say that you stop all this business, but the material world is like that. You want to solve something; instead of solving, you'll create so many problems. This is material life. Because our life is not meant for solving problems and creating problem. Our life is meant for understanding God. Then everything is all right. But that you have given up.
- na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
- durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
- andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
- te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ
- (SB 7.5.31)
They do not know that you cannot go an inch beyond the stringent laws of material nature. That is not possible.
Then the next question is that how . . . people are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then, they are misled by blind leaders. So how . . . what is the solution? That is Prahlāda Mahārāja saying:
- naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ
- spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ
- mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ
- niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat
- (SB 7.5.32)
Therefore one has to take shelter of a pure devotee. That is the only solution. He says, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅgrhim. The beginning was that "They are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Then how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious if that is the solution? Then Prahlāda Mahārāja says, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad: "So long one does not approach a pure devotee," mahīyasāṁ niṣkiñcanānām, "great personalities, who has no more any material interest," niṣkiñcana, "and takes the dust of his lotus feet on the head . . ." Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim: "So long one does not approach such personality, there is no possibility of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious." Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim. As soon as one approaches the pure devotee and takes the dust of his lotus feet and puts it on his head, immediately, anartha apagamaḥ, he'll be freed from all this nonsense. That means he'll forget this idea that "Materially we can advance." This is the process.
So we have to approach a niṣkiñcana, who has nothing to do with this material world. His only ambition is to serve more Kṛṣṇa. And if somebody approaches him and takes the dust of his lotus feet, then he can understand. Mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat.
(aside) Our time is over?
Devotee: It's . . . (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: All right. So in this way Prahlāda Mahārāja talked with his father, and the father became more angry. Instead of taking the lesson . . . mūrkhāya upadeśa hi prakopāya na śāntaye (Hitopadeśa 3.4). If you teach lesson to a foolish person, he'll be simply angry. He'll not take your lesson. How it is so? Payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. If you keep a snake and if you want to make friendly behavior with him, that "My dear snake, don't bite any more. I'll give you milk and banana. You eat here and stay here nicely," he'll not . . . his poison will increase, and one day he will . . . there is a story in the Hitopadeśa: one day, one . . . the same thing. That's all. So payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam (Nīti Śāstra). So these are lessons, stories.
So his father, Hiranyakasipu, became more and more angry. So one day . . . because after all, son and father. The son was simple boy. So one day he said, "Prahlāda, I shall now kill you. I shall see how your Kṛṣṇa saves you." So immediately, Prahlāda was seeing to the pillars of the hall. He was king. So Hiraṇyakaśipu asked him, "Is your God, Kṛṣṇa, in the pillar?" He said: "Yes, sir. Yes, my father, He is there." So immediately, with anger he broke the pillar and Hiraṇyakaśipu, er, Narasiṁha-deva came out.
Now we can honor Him.