68 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 2, Ch. 2
such a “civilization” is not worthy of the name. In pursuit of such false
activities, a human being is in the clutches of mdyé, or illusion. Great sages
and saints in the days of yore were not living in palatial buildings
furnished with good furniture and so-called amenities of life. They used
to live in huts and groves and sit on the flat ground, and yet they have left
immense treasures of high knowledge with all perfection. Srila Ripa
Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami were high-ranking ministers of state,
but they were able to leave behind them immense writings on transcen-
dental knowledge, while residing only for one night underneath one tree.
They did not live even two nights under the same tree, and what to speak
of well-furnished rooms with modern amenities. And still they were able
to give us most important literatures of self-realization. So-called comforts
of life are not actually helpful for progressive civilization; rather, they are
detrimental to such progressive life. In the system of sandtana-dharma of
four divisions of social life and four orders of progressive realization, there
are ample opportunities and sufficient directions for a happy termination
of the progressive life, and the sincere followers are advised there to accept
a voluntary life of renunciation in order to achieve the desired goal of life.
If one is not accustomed to abide by the life of renunciation and self-
abnegation from the beginning, one should try to get into the habit at a
later stage of life as recommended by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, and that
will help one to achieve the desired success.
TEXT 5
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dare: cera: aftaisorgrag |
weg af saat VATA I 4 II
cirani kim pathi na santi diganti bhiksam
naivaiighripah parabhrtah sarito "py asusyan
ruddha guhah kim ajito’vati nopasannan
kasmad bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadandhan
cirani—torn clothes; kim—whether; pathi—on the road; na—not; santi—
there is; diganti—give in charity; bhiksam—alms; na—not; eva—also; anghri-
