Human life's true purpose is understanding the eternal soul, not pursuing temporary bodily pleasures like animals.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Pandal Speech — November 10, 1973, Delhi 731110LE-DELHI [35:14 Minutes] Lect_731110LE-DELHI Prabhupāda: Mr. High Commissioner and Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here, taking so much trouble to participate in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And I shall simply try to draw your attention about the importance of this movement. Importance of this movement is this, that we do not know what is the aim of life.
The modern civilization, all over the world, especially in the Western world, nobody knows what is the actual problem and what is the aim of life. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says, "The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9], that birth, death, old age and disease, these are the problems." If you take birth, then you will have to die. Anyone who takes birth, he must have to die. And so long, between birth and death, there is old age and disease.
Actually, these are the problems. So far we are concerned, living entities, every one of us, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit: "The living entity is never born, never dies." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]: "The living entity is eternal, ever-existing and very old, and," na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre, "it does not die after the annihilation of this body." But the modern civilization, they are thinking that "This body we have got somehow or other, a lump of matter, and so long we have got this body, let us enjoy life, sense gratification." This is atheistic theory. In our country there were atheists also. Just like Cārvāka Muni. According to his philosophy, he says, ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. Because in our country, India, life is enjoyable when we get to eat too much ghee.
You see? Pakhika anna[?]. That is enjoyment. Just like in Western countries, if they can eat..., if they can drink more, that is life's enjoyment.
In our country, of course... So ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. If somebody says that "I have no money," so Cārvāka Muni says that "You take loan from your friend and purchase ghee and enjoy life." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. "So long you will live, live happily.
Why... Make beg, borrow, steal and live happily." "No. I shall be responsible. I shall have to pay next life." Cārvāka Muni says, "No, no.
Don't bother about next life." Bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kuto punar āgamano bhavet: "Your body will be burned in the crematorium. That finished. That's all." This foolishness is there, that this life... We do not know that this human form of life we have got by the evolutionary process, going through so many lives.