208 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 4

to lack of goodness. Thus he contemplated for the welfare of men in all
statuses and orders of life.

PURPORT

The unmanifested forces of time are so powerful that they reduce all
matter to oblivion in due course. In Kali-yuga, the last millennium of a
round of the four millenniums, the power of all material objects deteriorates
by the influence of time. In this age the duration of the material body of
the people in general is much reduced, and so is the memory. The action
of matter has also not so much incentive. The land does not produce food
grains in the same proportions as it did in other ages. The cow does not
give as much milk as it used to give formerly. The production of vegetables
and fruits is less than before. As such, all living beings, both men and
animals, do not have sumptuous, nourishing food. Due to want of so many
necessities of life, naturally the duration of life is reduced, the memory is
short, intelligence is meager, mutual dealings are full of hypocrisy and so
on.

The great sage Vyasadeva could see this by his transcendental vision. As
an astrologer can see the future fate of a man, or an astronomer can
foretell the solar and lunar eclipses, similarly those who can see through
the scriptures and foretell the future of all mankind are called liberated
souls. They can see thus due to their sharp vision of spiritual attainment.

And all such transcendentalists, who are naturally devotees of the Lord,
are always eager to render welfare service to the people in general. They
are the real friends of the people in general, not the so-called public
leaders who are unable to see what is going to happen five minutes ahead.
In this age the people in general as well as their so-called leaders are all
unlucky fellows, faithless in spiritual knowledge and influenced by the
age of Kali. They are always disturbed by various diseases. For example, in
the present age there are so many TB patients and TB hospitals, but
formerly this was not so because the time was not so unfavorable. These
unfortunate men of this age are always reluctant to give a reception to the
transcendentalists who are representatives of Srila Vyasadeva and selfless
workers always busy in planning something which may help everyone in all
statuses and orders of life. The greatest philanthropists are those transcen-
dentalists who represent the mission of Vyasa, Narada, Madhva, Caitanya,
Ripa, Sarasvati, etc. They are all one and the same. The personalities may
be different, but the aim of the mission is one and the same, namely, to
deliver the fallen souls back home, back to Godhead.
