Text 3] The Residents of Jambidvipa Offer Prayers 159
aho vicitram bhagavad-vicestitam
ghnantam jano *yam hi misan na pasyati
dhyayann asad yarhi vikarma sevitum
nirhrtya putram pitaram jiivisati

aho—alas; vicitram—wonderful; bhagavat-vicestitam—the pastimes
of the Lord; ghnantam—death; janah—a person; ayam—this; hi—cer-
tainly; misan—although seeing; na pasyati—does not see; dhyayan—
thinking about; asat—material happiness; yarhi—because; vikarma—
forbidden activities; sevitum—to enjoy; nirhrtya—burning; putram—
sons; pitaram—the father; jijivisati—desires a long life.

TRANSLATION

Alas! How wonderful it is that the foolish materialist does not
heed the great danger of impending death! He knows that death
will surely come, yet he is nevertheless callous and neglectful. If
his father dies, he wants to enjoy his father’s property, and if his
son dies, he wants to enjoy his son’s possessions as well. In either
case, he heedlessly tries to enjoy material happiness with the ac-
quired money.

PURPORT

Material happiness means to have good facilities for eating. sleeping,
sexual intercourse and defense. Within this world, the materialistic per-
son lives only for these four principles of sense gratification, not caring
for the impending danger of death. After his father’s death, a son tries to
inherit his money and use it for sense gratification. Similarly, one whose
son dies tries to enjoy the possessions of his son. Sometimes the father of
a dead son even enjoys his son’s widow. Materialistic persons behave in
this way. Thus Sukadeva Gosvami says, “How wonderful are these
pastimes of material happiness transacted by the will of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead!” In other words, materialistic persons want to
commit all kinds of sinful activities, but without the sanction of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, no one can do anything. Why does the
Supreme Personality of Godhead permit sinful activities? The Supreme
Lord does not want any living being to act sinfully, and He begs him
through his good conscience to refrain from sin. But when someone
