186
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
[Madhya-līlā, Ch. 2]
not; ye—which; śravaṇe—in the ear; kāṇākaḍi—of a damaged conchshell; chidra—the hole; sama—like; jāniha—please know; se—that; śravaṇa—ear; tāra—his; janma—birth; haila—was; akāraṇe—without purpose.
TRANSLATION
“Topics about Kṛṣṇa are like waves of nectar. If such nectar does not enter one’s ear, the ear is no better than the hole of a damaged conchshell. Such an ear is created for no purpose.”
PURPORT
In this connection, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura quotes the following verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.3.17-24):
āyur harati vai puṁsām 
  udyann astaṁ ca yann asau 
  tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta 
  uttama-śloka-vārtayā
taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti 
  bhastrāḥ kiṁ na śvasanty uta 
  na khādanti na mehanti 
  kiṁ grāme paśavo ‘pare
śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ 
  saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ 
  na yat-karṇa-pathopeto 
  jātu nāma gadāgrajaḥ
bile batorukrama-vikramān ye 
  na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya 
  jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta 
  na copagāyaty urugāya-gāthāḥ
bhāraḥ paraṁ paṭṭa-kirīṭa-juṣṭam 
  apy uttamāṅgaṁ na namen mukundam 
  śāvau karau no kurute saparyāṁ 
  harer lasat-kāñcana-kaṅkaṇau vā