Text 32] Prthu Maharaja’s Meeting with the Four Kumaras 929
there is no proper knowledge exhibited. Our original consciousness is Krsna
consciousness because we are part and parcel of Krsna. When this conscious-
ness is misguided and one is put into the material atmosphere, which pol-
lutes the original consciousness, one thinks that he is a product of the
material elements. Thus one loses his real remembrance of his position as
part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as a man who
sleeps forgets himself. In this way, when the activities of proper conscious-
ness are checked, all the activities of the lost soul are performed on a
false basis. At the present moment human civilization is acting on a false
platform of bodily identification; therefore it can be said that the people
of the present age have lost their souls.
TEXT 32
J
ATA: TA ST GA: APART: |
TETAR TIARA: SAT TTANA 1132!
natah parataro loke
pumsah svartha-vyatikramah
yadadhy anyasya preyastvam
atmanah sva-vyatikramat

na—not;atah—after this; paratarah—greater ;loke—in this world; pumsah—
of the living entities; sva-artha— interest; vyatikramah—obstruction;
yadadhi—bey ond that; anyasya—of others; preyastuam—to be more interest-
ing; atmanah—for the self; suva—own,; vyatikramat—by obstruction.

TRANSLATION

There is no stronger obstruction to one’s self-interest than thinking other

subject matters to be more pleasing than one’s self-realization.
PURPORT

Human life is especially meant for self-realization. Self refers to the
Superself and the individual self, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and
the living entity. When, however, one becomes more interested in the
body and bodily sense gratification, he creates for himself obstructions on
the path of self-realization. By the influence of maya, one becomes more
interested in sense gratification, which is prohibited in this world for
those interested in self-realization. Instead of becoming interested in
sense gratification, one should divert his activities to satisfy the senses of
the Supreme Soul. Anything performed contrary to this principle is cer-
tainly against one’s self-interest.
