1286
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[ Canto 3, Ch. 30 ]
the spell of  māyā . Even Indra forgets his heavenly standard of life and is satisfied with the standard of a hog's life. By the influence of  māyā  the conditioned soul becomes so affectionate towards his particular type of body that if he is offered, "Give up this body, and immediately you will have a king's body," he will not agree. This attachment strongly affects all conditioned living entities. Lord Kṛṣṇa is personally canvassing, "Give up everything in this material world. Come to Me, and I shall give you all protection," but we are not agreeable. We think, "We are quite all right. Why should we surrender unto Kṛṣṇa and go back to His kingdom?" This is called illusion, or  māyā . Everyone is satisfied with his standard of living, however abominable it may be.
TEXT 6
आत्मजायासुतागारपशुद्रविणबन्धुषु । निरूढमूलहृदय आत्मानं बहु मन्यते ॥ ६ ॥
ātma-jāyā-sutāgāra- paśu-draviṇa-bandhuṣu nirūḍha-mūla-hṛdaya ātmānam bahu manyate
ātma—body; jāyā—wife; suta—children; agāra—home; paśu—animals; draviṇa—wealth; bandhuṣu—in friends; nirūḍha-mūla—deep-rooted; hṛdayah—his heart; ātmānam—himself; bahu—highly; manyate—he thinks.
TRANSLATION
Such satisfaction with one's standard of living is due to deep-rooted attraction for body, wife, home, children, animals, wealth and friends. In such association, the conditioned soul thinks himself quite perfect.
PURPORT
This so-called perfection of human life is a concoction. Therefore, it is said that the materialist, however materially qualified he may be, is worthless because he is hovering on the mental plane, which will drag him again to the material existence of temporary life. One who acts on the mental plane cannot get promotion to the spiritual. Such a person is always sure to glide down again to material life. In the association of so-called society, friendship and love, the conditioned soul appears completely satisfied.