Text 16]
The First Step in God Realization
27
training is called  varṇāśrama-dharma , or the system of  sanātana-dharma , the best procedure for making the human life perfect. One is, therefore, required to give up the attachment to family or social or political life just at the age of fifty years, if not earlier, and the training in the  vānaprastha  and  sannyāsa āśramas  is given for preparation of the next life. Foolish materialists, in the garb of leaders of the people in general, stick to family affairs without attempting to cut off relations with them, and thus they become victims of nature's law and get gross bodies again, according to their work. Such foolish leaders may have some respect from the people at the end of life, but that does not mean that such leaders will be immune from the natural laws under which everyone is tightly bound by the hands and feet. The best thing is, therefore, that everyone voluntarily give up family relations by transferring the attachment from family, society, country and everything thereof to the devotional service of the Lord. It is stated herein that one should give up all desires of family attachment. One must have a chance for better desires; otherwise there is no chance of giving up such morbid desires. Desire is the concomitant factor of the living entity. The living entity is eternal, and therefore his desires, which are natural for a living being, are also eternal. One cannot, therefore, stop desiring, but the subject matter for desires can be changed. So one must develop the desires for returning home, back to Godhead, and automatically the desires for material gain, material honor and material popularity will diminish in proportion to the development of devotional service. A living being is meant for service activities, and his desires are centered around such a service attitude. Beginning from the top executive head of the state, down to the insignificant pauper in the street, all are rendering some sort of service to others. The perfection of such a service attitude is only attained simply by transferring the desire of service from matter to spirit, or from Satan to God.
TEXT 16
गृहात् प्रव्रजितो धीरः पुष्पतीर्थजलाप्लुतः । 
  शुचौ विविक्त आसीनो विधिवत्कल्पितासने ॥१६॥
gṛhāt pravrajito dhīraḥ 
  puṇya-tīrtha-jalāplutaḥ 
  śucau vivikta āsīno 
  vidhivat kalpitāsane