Text 12] The First Step in God Realization 21
hearing of the transcendental nature of the holy name. The effect of
chanting the holy name of the Lord is perceived by the chanter as libera-
tion from the conception of false egoism. False egoism is exhibited by
thinking oneself to be the enjoyer of the world and thinking everything in
the world to be meant for the enjoyment of one’s self only. The whole
materialistic world is moving under such false egoism of “I” and “mine,”
but the factual effect of chanting the holy name is to become free from
such misconception.
TEXT 12
+ ™ eh 6 fa
fe SHA TEM WaerTAE |
at ued fafza cea ATA TA 2H
kim pramattasya bahubhih
paroksair hayanair iha
varam muhirtam viditam
ghatate sreyase yatah

kim—what is; pramattasya—of the bewildered; bahubhih—by many;
paroksaih—unexperienced; hayanaih—years; tha—in this world; varam—
better; muhirtam—a moment; viditam—conscious; ghalate—one can try
for; sreyase—in the matter of the supreme interest; yatah—by that.

TRANSLATION

What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted, inexperienced by
years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that
gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest.

PURPORT

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami instructed Maharaja Pariksit about the impor-
tance of chanting the holy name of the Lord by every progressive gentle-
man. In order to encourage the King, who had only seven remaining days
of life, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami asserted that there is no use in living
hundreds of years without any knowledge of the problems of life—better
to live for a moment with full consciousness of the supreme interest to be
