206
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 7, Ch. 9]
yasmāt —because of which (because of existing in the material world); 
 priya —pleasing;  apriya —not pleasing;  viyoga —by separation; 
 saṁyoga —and combination;  janma —whose birth;  śoka-agninā —by the 
  fire of lamentation;  sakala-yoniṣu —in any type of body; 
 dahyamānaḥ —being burned;  duḥkha-auṣadham —remedial measures 
  for miserable life;  tat —that;  api —also;  duḥkham —suffering;  a-tat-  
 dhiyā —by accepting the body as the self;  aham —I;  bhūman —O great 
  one;  bhramāmi —am wandering (within the cycle of birth and death); 
 vada —kindly instruct;  me —unto me;  tava —Your;  dāsya-yogam —ac- 
  tivities of service.
TRANSLATION
O  great one,  O  Supreme Lord, because of combination with 
  pleasing and displeasing circumstances and because of separation 
  from them, one is placed in a most regrettable position, within 
  heavenly or hellish planets, as if burning in a fire of lamentation. 
  Although there are many remedies by which to get out of misera- 
  ble life, any such remedies in the material world are more misera- 
  ble than the miseries themselves. Therefore I think that the only 
  remedy is to engage in Your service. Kindly instruct me in such 
  service.
PURPORT
Prahlāda Mahārāja aspired to engage in the service of the lotus feet of 
  the Lord. After the death of his father, who was materially very opulent, 
  Prahlāda would have inherited his father's property, which extended 
  throughout the world, but Prahlāda Mahārāja was not inclined to accept 
  such material opulence, for whether one is in the heavenly or hellish 
  planets or is a rich or a poor man's son, material conditions are every- 
  where. Therefore no condition of life is at all pleasing. If one wants the 
  uncontaminated pleasure of blissful life, he must engage himself in the 
  transcendental loving service of the Lord. Material opulence may be 
  somewhat pleasing for the time being, but to come to that temporary 
  pleasing condition one must work extremely hard. When a poor man is 
  rich he may be better situated, but to come to that position he had to ac- 
  cept many miseries. The fact is that in material life, whether one is 
  miserable or happy, both conditions are miserable. If one actually wants