122 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 2
Sri-hiranyakasipuh uvica—Sri Hiranyakasipu said; baéle—while
Yamaraja in the form of a boy; evam—thus; pravadati—was speaking
very philosophically; sarve—all; vismita—struck with wonder;
cetasah—their hearts; jfidtayah—the relatives; menire—they thought;
sarvam—everything material; anityam—temporary; ayathda-ut-
thitam—arisen from temporary phenomena.
TRANSLATION
Hiranyakasipu said: While Yamaraja, in the form of a small boy,
was instructing all the relatives surrounding the dead body of
Suyajiia, everyone was struck with wonder by his philosophical
words. They could understand that everything material is tempor-
ary, not continuing to exist.
PURPORT
This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (2.18). Antavanta ime deha
nityasyoktah Saririnah: the body is perishable, but the soul within the
body is imperishable. Therefore the duty of those advanced in knowledge
in human society is to study the constitutional position of the imperisha-
ble soul and not waste the valuable time of human life in merely main-
taining the body and not considering life’s real responsibility. Every
human being should try to understand how the spirit soul can be happy
and where he can attain an eternal, blissful life of knowledge. Human
beings are meant to study these subject matters, not to be absorbed in
caring for the temporary body, which is sure to change. No one knows
whether he will receive a human body again; there is no guarantee, for
according to one’s work one may get any body, from that of a demigod to
that of a dog. In this regard, Srila Madhvacarya comments:
aharh mamabhimanadi-
tva-yathottham anityakam
mahadadi yathottham ca
nityd capi yathotthita
asvatantraiva prakrtih
sva-tantro nitya eva ca
