434, Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 5, Ch. 13

heat of household life, which is like a forest fire, and sometimes he
becomes sad to have his wealth, which is as dear as life, plundered
by kings in the name of heavy income taxes.

PURPORT

When one is hot due to the scorching sun, one sometimes jumps into a
river to gain relief. However. if the river is almost dried up and the
water is too shallow, one may break his bones by jumping in. The condi-
tioned soul is always experiencing miserable conditions. Sometimes his
efforts to get help from friends are exactly like jumping into a dry river.
By such actions, he does not derive any benefit. He only breaks his bones.
Sometimes, suffering from a shortage of food, one may go to a person
who is neither able to give charity nor willing to do so. Sometimes one is
stationed in household life. which is compared to a forest fire (samnsara-
davanala-lidha-loka). When a man is heavily taxed by the government,
he becomes very sad. Heavy taxation obliges one to hide his income, but
despite this endeavor the government agents are often so vigilant and
strong that they take all the money anyway, and the conditioned soul
becomes very aggrieved.

Thus people are trying to become happy within the material world. but
this is like trying to be happy in a forest fire. No one need go to a forest to
set it ablaze; fire takes place automatically. Similarly, no one wants to be
unhappy in family life or worldly life, but by the laws of nature unhap-
piness and distress are forced upon everyone. To become dependent on
another’s maintenance is very degrading; therefore, according to the
Vedic system, everyone should live independently. Only the sddras are
unable to live independently. They are obliged to serve someone for
maintenance. It is said in the Sastras: kalau sidra-sambhavah. In this
age of Kali, everyone is dependent on another's mercy for the mainte-
nance of the body: therefore everyone is classified as a sidra. In the
Twelfth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that in Kali-yuga the
government will levy taxes without reciprocally benefiting the citizens.
Anaorstya vinarksyanti durbhiksa-kara-piditah. In this age there will
also be a shortage of rain: therefore a scarcity of food will arise, and the
citizens will be very much harassed by government taxation. In this
way the citizens will abandon their attempts to lead a peaceful life
