Without self-knowledge and Krishna consciousness, all material achievements are defeat, not victory.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.5 — September 10, 1973, Stockholm 730910SB-STOCKHOLM [45:56 Minutes] SB-05.05.05_730910SB-STOCKHOLM Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [break]
Prabhupāda: So, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam yāvat kriyās tāvad idaṁ mano vai karmātmakaṁ yena śarīra-bandhaḥ [SB 5.5.5] So in the previous verse Ṛṣabhadeva has said that this madness after sense gratification, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute, and doing all kinds of sinful activities, this is not good. And actually we can see... [aside:] No, I daily say that during talking you should not cut, cut. So one may argue, especially those who are atheist, that "Suppose we get a material body and little miserable.
What is the wrong there? It will be finished. Then there will be no more pains and pleasure." That is the Buddhist theory, that the body is combination of matter, and there is pains and pleasure, so make this body zero. Then there will be no more pains and pleasure." So Ṛṣabhadeva answers this point, "No, this body will be finished, and you will have to accept another body.
And so long you shall continue to accept one body after another, the miserable condition of material existence will continue." Therefore in the beginning it was said that "This body, human body, is not to be misused simply for sense gratification like the dogs and hogs." That was the beginning. So therefore, again He says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. These rascals, they do not know that for want of knowledge of the soul, ātma-tattvam, on the bodily concept of life, whatever they are doing, that is defeat. They are thinking, "Now, by scientific advancement, we are able to go to the moon planet." Of course, I do not know whether they can go. Till now they are not successful.
Or at least attempting. So this is our achievement. But Ṛṣabhadeva says, "That is not your achievement. That is your defeat.
It is your defeat." Why defeat? Because you cannot come to the moon planet or sun planet or any other planet like that. You are simply wasting your time. Just try to understand.
Suppose you want to go to some foreign country, and if you think that by force... Just like in England some Indians, they come by some, what is called? Smuggling method. Haṁsadūta: Some underground, smuggling. Prabhupāda: Ah. So that is not allowed.