Human life means inquiring about eternal truth from a guru, not merely satisfying bodily needs like animals.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.1–8 — May 23, 1969, New Vrindavan 690523SB-NEW VRINDAVAN [43:03 Minutes] SB-01.05.01–08_690523SB-NEW VRINDAVAN Prabhupāda: jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ [I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.] śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda [I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.] Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare [My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.] So sage Nārada is trying to enliven Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva was learned.
Not ordinarily learned; he is consid..., he is the incarnation of God, Nārāyaṇa. He appeared for spreading Vedic knowledge. Therefore Nāradajī, it is stated here, smayann iva. Smayann iva me..., smayan means smiling, that "Such a great personality also becomes morose." After giving so many contribution, literary contribution, still he was not happy. So it is wonderful.
So therefore he was smiling. Smayann iva. Devarṣiḥ prāha viprarṣiṁ vīṇā-pāṇiḥ smayann iva [SB 1.5.1]. [Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus the sage amongst the gods [Nārada], comfortably seated and apparently smiling, addressed the ṛṣi amongst the brāhmaṇas [Vedavyāsa].] He said, jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca brahma yat tat sanātanam tathāpi śocasy ātmānam akṛtārtha iva prabho [SB 1.5.4] [You have fully delineated the subject of impersonal Brahman as well as the knowledge derived therefrom. Why should you be despondent in spite of all this, thinking that you are undone, my dear prabhu?] Jijñāsitam.
This is very important thing, jijñāsitam. This is the beginning of life actually. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Inquisitiveness.
Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. [Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.] One should search after a guru, jijñāsu, one who is inquisitive. That is actually life.
Just like animals, they are not inquisitive. They are simply concerned with the four principles of bodily necessities: eating... Udaram, dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam [SB 12.2.6]. [A sacred place will be taken to consist of no more than a reservoir of water located at a distance, and beauty will be thought to depend on one's hairstyle. Filling the belly will become the goal of life, and one who is audacious will be accepted as truthful. He who can maintain a family will be regarded as an expert man, and the principles of religion will be observed only for the sake of reputation.] In this age, Kali-yuga, if one can eat sumptuously, he thinks that "All my interest is now fulfilled. I have eaten very nicely today." That's all. [chuckles] And dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam: and if he can maintain a wife and three children, oh, he is Dakṣa Mahārāja. Dakṣa Mahārāja.
This is the age of Kali. You see? If one can simply eat and if he's well-to-do, he can maintain... And when I was in New York, one old lady, she used to come to my class. Not in Second Avenue; when I first started in 72nd Street.