Hearing Krishna's pure message destroys unwanted things; no policy can match devotional service's transformative power.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.18 — October 29, 1972, Vṛndāvana 721029SB-VRNDAVAN [39:49 Minutes] SB-01.02.18_721029SB-VRNDAVAN Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.[leads chanting of verse, etc.] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī [SB 1.2.18] [break] [leads chanting of synonyms] [break] naṣṭa—destroyed; prāyeṣu—almost to nil; abhadreṣu—all that is inauspicious; nityam—regularly; bhāgavata—Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the pure devotee; sevayā—by serving; bhagavati—unto the Personality of Godhead; uttama—transcendental; śloke—prayers; bhaktiḥ—loving service; bhavati—comes into being; naiṣṭhikī—irrevocable. [02:56] Translation: "By regularly hearing the Bhāgavata and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact." Prabhupāda: Hmm. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu.
Abhadra. We have discussed yesterday, abhadrāṇi: all dirty things. This material life means dirty life. People do not understand it.
They think by nice dress and nice apartment and nicely washed body, that is civilization. They do not know what is the dirty things which has attacked him, what is the contamination; that he does not know. Lokasya ajānataḥ. It is said that the fools, rascals, they do not know it. anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām [SB 1.7.6] The anartha... In the name of civilization, we have increased so many unwanted things, unnecessarily.
This is called anartha. Artha means which is substance. So just like... We can give so many examples.
When there was no so-called advancement of civilization, people used to eat on utensils made of silver, gold, at least metal. Now they're using plastic. And still, they are proud of advancement of civilization. Actually it is anartha, anartha, unwanted things. At least, in..., two hundred years ago in India, there was no industry.
I think I am correct. Yes. But people were so happy. They did not have to go two hundred miles or five hundred miles away from home and for earning livelihood.
In Europe and America, I see people are going for earning their livelihood by aeroplane, daily passengers. I've seen. From Vancouver, they were coming to Montreal and other places, five hundred miles. At least fifty miles one must go. In New York, many people are coming from distant places, Long Islands, crossing the sea, and then again bus, again...