Text 12]
The First Step in God Realization
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hearing of the transcendental nature of the holy name. The effect of chanting the holy name of the Lord is perceived by the chanter as liberation from the conception of false egoism. False egoism is exhibited by thinking oneself to be the enjoyer of the world and thinking everything in the world to be meant for the enjoyment of one's self only. The whole materialistic world is moving under such false egoism of "I" and "mine," but the factual effect of chanting the holy name is to become free from such misconception.
TEXT 12
किं प्रमत्तस्य वह्नुभिः परोक्षेहोयनैरिह । वरं मुहूर्तं विदितं घटते श्रेयसे यतः ॥१२॥
kim pramattasya bahubhiḥ parokṣair hāyanair iha varam muhūrtam viditam ghaṭate śreyase yataḥ
kim —what is;  pramattasya —of the bewildered;  bahubhiḥ —by many;  parokṣaiḥ —unexperienced;  hāyanaiḥ —years;  iha —in this world;  varam —better;  muhūrtam —a moment;  viditam —conscious;  ghaṭate —one can try for;  śreyase —in the matter of the supreme interest;  yataḥ —by that.
TRANSLATION
What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted, inexperienced by years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest.
PURPORT
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī instructed Mahārāja Parīkṣit about the importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord by every progressive gentleman. In order to encourage the King, who had only seven remaining days of life, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī asserted that there is no use in living hundreds of years without any knowledge of the problems of life—better to live for a moment with full consciousness of the supreme interest to be