Human life exists for inquiry into the Absolute Truth, not for enslaved material pursuits like animals.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.11 — August 9, 1972, London 720809SB-LONDON [45:06 Minutes] SB-01.02.11_720809SB-LONDON Prabhupāda: [Sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.
Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. [devotees offer obeisances] Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
Prabhupāda: Hmm? Yes. Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11] That tune? Prabhupāda: Tune? [chants verse to different tune] vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11] Like that.
[chants again] Pradyumna: [repeats verse to Prabhupāda's tune] vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11] Prabhupāda: That's fine. Yes. [chants verse again] Go on, anyone. [devotee chants] That's all right.
Now word meaning. Pradyumna: [leads chanting of synonyms] vadanti—they say; tat—that; tattva-vidaḥ—the learned souls; tattvam—the Absolute Truth; yat—which; jñānam—knowledge; advayam—nondual; brahma iti—known as Brahman; paramātmā iti—known as Paramātmā; bhagavān iti—known as Bhagavān; śabdyate—it so sounded. [07:58] Translation: "Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān." Prabhupāda: So in the previous verse it has been concluded that jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. [indistinct] ...lābho jīveta yāvatā jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ [SB 1.2.10]. Don't directly [indistinct]. [break] People are engaged twenty-four hours—night duty, day duty, no rest, working like ass, for eating, sleeping, mating. That's all. Ass…, karmī..., karmīs are compared with ass.
I have several times described ass. In India, ass is engaged to bear the burden of cloth of the washerman. Tons of cloth is loaded on the back of the ass, and it takes to the, I mean to say, washing ghat, water place, and he is given little morsel, little grass, and he is satisfied standing there. And again in the evening he is loaded with tons of clothing, and he brings back to the shop of the washerman.
This is ass. He is bearing so big burden, only for little grass. But he can go away from that place and eat grass anywhere—there is sufficient grass. But no, he will stick to that washerman's place. He is under the impression that "This washerman is protecting me, giving this grass." That is his impression.