Learning the Science of the Soul 45

himself with any relevant inquiries. He has no knowledge as to where he
has to go after his death. He works very hard for the temporary arrange-
ments of his family, society, or nation, but he never makes any future ar-.
rangement either for himself or for others who will pass away from this
present phase of life.

In a public vehicle like a railway carriage, we meet and sit down
together with some unknown friends and become members of the same
vehicle for a short time, but in due course we separate, never to meet
again. Similarly, in a long sojourn of life, we get a temporary sitting ac-
commodation in a so-called family, country, or society, but when the
time is up, we are unwillingly separated from one another, never to meet
again. There are so many questions relevant to our temporary arrange-
ments in life and our friends in these temporary arrangements, but a man
who is a grhamedhi never inquires about things of a permanent nature.
We are all busy making permanent plans in various degrees of leadership,
without knowing the permanent nature of things as they are. Sripada
Sankaracarya, who especially strove to remove this ignorance in society
and who advocated the cult of spiritual knowledge in regard to the all-
pervading impersonal Brahman, said in despair, ‘‘Children are engaged
in playing, young boys are engaged in so-called love affairs with young
girls, and the old are seriously thoughtful about adjusting a baffled life of
struggle. But, alas, no one is prepared to inquire relevantly into the
science of Brahman, the Absolute Truth.”

§ri Sukadeva Goswami, who was asked for direction by Maharaja
Pariksit, responded to the king’s relevant inquiries by advising him as
follows:

tasmad bharata sarvatma
bhagavan isvaro harih

Srotavyah kirtitavyas ca
smartavyas cecchatabhayam

*“O descendant of Bharata, it is the duty of mortal men to inquire about,
hear about, glorify, and meditate upon the Personality of Godhead, who
is the most attractive person because of His fullness in opulence. He is
called Hari because He alone can undo the conditional existence of a liv-
ing being. If we at all want to be freed from conditional existence, we
must make relevant inquiries about the Absolute Truth so that He
may be pleased to bestow upon us perfect freedom in life.”’ [Srimad-
Bhadgavatam 2.1.5]

Sri Sukadeva Goswami has particularly used four words in regard to
