Best Use of Human Life

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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.1 — September 12, 1972, Dallas 720912SB-DALLAS [32:30 Minutes] SB-02.01.01_720912SB-DALLAS Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse, etc.] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] śrī-śuka uvāca varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ [SB 2.1.1] [break] Pradyumna: loka-hitam—beneficial for all men; nṛpa—the king; ātmavit—transcendentalist; sammataḥ—approved; puṁsām—of all men; śrotavyādiṣu—in the matter of all kinds of hearing; yaḥ—what is; paraḥ—the supreme.

[06:10] Translation: Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, your question is glorious because it is very beneficial to all kinds of people. To hear the answer to this question is the prime subject matter of hearing, and it is approved by all transcendentalists.

Prabhupāda: So Śukadeva Gosvāmī welcomed the question of the King, Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Parīkṣit was... Parīkṣit Mahārāja was to live there just after seven days, therefore all the learned scholars, learned persons, Kings because he was Emperor so he was going to die within seven days all these men from all parts of the world came to see him. And in the assembly of such great personalities he enquired, “What is my duty?” And when he died, just after seven days, then what is my duty now? This is called brahma-jijñāsā everyone should enquire, “What is my duty?” But there is no such enquiry simply they are interested, “where is my bed, where is my sex, where is my buffet [indistinct] and where is my defence.” These are the... Actually they do not know that after death there is life, the same thing you put in an egg.

As I have my past life, so I have got my present life, there must be future life, past present and future finally eternal. So the people do not know the modern education they have no knowledge what, what is the [indistinct] next life. Therefore lost. Therefore this kind of education has no value because after being educated if one does not know what is the value of life, simply for working and to earn livelihood to fill up this belly.

This is done by the animals also. They are also busy all day, where is food, where is shelter, where is sex and where is defence? Therefore when Parīkṣit Mahārāja enquired, so whether I shall devote myself [indistinct] for undestanding Kṛṣṇa. [indistinct] because he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa from his childhood the grandson of the Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas were great devotees of Kṛṣṇa so he inherited the family tendency therefore he enquired whether I shall continue my Kṛṣṇa consciousness or if I have to do something for the [indistinct], something else.

The answer to these questions Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, “Glorious, your question is very nice because you are enquiring about Kṛṣṇa.” To enquire about Kṛṣṇa and receive the proper answer that is our life. The people do not know what is the value of life, so he agreed that your question is varīyān, varīyān means glorious. Why glorious? So because the answer to be given it will be beneficial for the whole people of the world. Just like Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa and putting some questions and he was answering Kṛṣṇa, and that answer is not only for Arjuna, it is for every human being. When Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna to “Surrender unto to Me” that: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁśaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

This was not meant for Arjuna only, it was meant for all human beings. When Kṛṣṇa says: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65] “You just become My devotee, worship Me, offer your obeisances unto Me,” so this is not only for Arjuna this is for the whole human kind. Although Arjuna is considered a human being who was present. Similarly here also the question is welcome because Kṛṣṇa [indistinct]. Simply by questioning about Kṛṣṇa, what we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and when we understand what is Kṛṣṇa then immediately you are liberated.

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