Blind leaders cannot guide a blind civilization toward the true goal of returning to Godhead.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.31 — October 4, 1975, Mauritius 751004SB-MAURITIUS [42:20 Minutes] SB-07.05.31_751004SB-MAURITIUS Harikeśa: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, Fifth Canto, thirty-first verse.
[leads chanting of verse, etc.] na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ [SB 7.5.31] Prabhupāda: [corrects pronunciation of last line] That's all right. [02:31] na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ [SB 7.5.31] The people in general, especially in this age, they do not know what is the goal of life, and still they are leaders. That is the defect of the modern civilization. It is the defect of material world, but especially in this Kali-yuga, it is the most abominable, fallen age.
There are Satya-yuga, [break] yuga, Dvāpara-yuga [break] and Kali-yuga, just like there are different seasons in the year—summer, rainy season, then winter season, autumn, spring, like that. So formerly, in the Satya-yuga, people used to live for 100,000's of years. Then in the Tretā-yuga, they used to live for 10,000 years. And in the Dvāpara-yuga they used to live for 1,000 years. That is the maximum.
And in the Kali-yuga they can live up to one hundred years. That is also not completed. With the advancement of Kali-yuga the duration of life, bodily strength, memory, mercifulness, religious sense—in this way everything will be reduced. And the duration of life will be reduced so much so that it is stated in the Bhāgavata that "If a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as a grand old man." And there will be not available especially rice, wheat, milk, sugar.
These are stated. This is Kali-yuga. So the nature of this material world is that without knowing the goal of life they become leaders. Material world, especially in this age, they do not know what is the goal of life. They do not know what he is.
That is the defect. Dehātma-buddhiḥ. Everyone, all over the world, they are thinking in terms of this body. Accidentally, somehow or other, because I have got this Indian body I am thinking, "I am Indian." And another person, he has got the American body from America... This land also we have demarcated.
That is also our creation. Otherwise, the land belongs to God. We have created this, that "This is America," "This is India," and "This is England," "This is Germany..." But actually every land belongs to..., every land, sea, sky belongs to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. That is Vedic civilization.