SB 1.13.17 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 17
Ebam grihesu saktanam pramattanam tadihaya Atyakramad avijnatah kalah parama dustarah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Ebam—thus, Grihesu—in the matter of family affairs, Saktanam—of person too much attached, Pramattanam—insanely attached, Tadihaya—engrossed by such thoughts, Atyakramad—surpassed, Avijnatah—eternal time, Kalah—eternal time, Parama—supremely, Dustarah—insurmountable.
TRANSLATION
Thus the insurmountable eternal time imperceptibly surpasses persons who are insanely too much attached in the matter of family affairs, for their being so engrossed in the thought.
PURPORT
Family satisfaction that, I am now happy, I have got everything in order, my bank balance is quite enough, I can give my children now enough estate, I am now successful, the poor beggar Sannyasins depend on God but come to beg from me; therefore, I am more than the Supreme God (?) etc are some of the thoughts which engross the insanely attached householder who is blind to see the passing away of eternal time imperceptibly. Our duration of life is measured and nobody is able to enhance it even by a second against the scheduled time ordained by the Supreme Will. Such valuable time specially for the human being should be cautiously spent because even a second passed away imperceptibly cannot be replaced even in exchange of crores of golden coins amassed by hard labour of life. Every second of human life is meant for a making an ultimate solution of the problems of life i.e. repetition of birth and death and revolving in the cycle of 84 lacs of different species of life. The material body which is subject to birth and death, diseases and old age, is the cause of all sufferings of the living being; otherwise the living being is eternal: he is never born nor dies ever. Foolish person forgets this problem of life or does not know at all how to solve the problems of life but becomes engrossed in the temporary family affairs without knowing it that the eternal time is passing away imperceptibly and his measured duration of life is diminishing every second without any solution of the big problem namely repetition of birth and death, diseases and old age. This is called illusion.
But such illusion cannot work on one who is awake in devotional service of the Lord. Yudhisthir Maharaj or his brothers the Pandavas were all engaged in the service of the Lord Sri Krishna and they had very little attraction for the illusory happiness of this material world. As we have discussed previously, Maharaj Yudhisthir was fixed up in the service of the Lord Mukunda (Lord who can award salvation) and therefore he had no attraction even for such comforts of life as are available in the kingdom of heaven; because even the happiness obtained in the planet of Brahmaloka, is also temporary and illusory. Because the living being is eternal he can be happy only in the eternal abode of the Kingdom of God (Parabyoma) where going nobody comes back to this region of repetition of birth and death, diseases and old age. Therefore, any comforts of life or any material happiness, which does not warrant an eternal life is but illusion is for the eternal livng being. One, who understands this factually, is learned and such learned person can sacrifice any amount of material happiness for achieving the desired goal known as Brahmasukham or Absolute Happiness. Real transcendentalists are hungry about this happiness and as a hungry man cannot be made happy by all comforts of life minus foodstuff, so the hungry man for eternal Absolute Happiness cannot be detracted by any amount of material happiness. Therefore, the instruction described in this verse cannot be applied to Maharaj Yudhisthira or his brothers and mother but it was meant for persons like Dhritarastra for whom Vidura came specially for imparting lessons.