206 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 9

yasmat —because of which (because of existing in the material world);
priya—pleasing; apriya—not pleasing; viyoga—by _ separation;
samyoga—and combination; janma—whose birth; soka-agnina—by the
fire of lamentation; sakala-yonisu—in any type of body;
dahyaménah—being burned; duhkha-ausadham—remedial measures
for miserable life; tat—that; api—also; duhkham—suffering; a-tat-
dhiya—by accepting the body as the self; aham—I; bhiman—O great
one; bhramémi—am wandering (within the cycle of birth and death);
vada—kindly instruct; me—unto me; tava—Your; dasya-yogam—ac-
tivities of service.

TRANSLATION

O great one, O Supreme Lord, because of combination with
pleasing and displeasing circumstances and because of separation
from them, one is placed in a most regrettable position, within
heavenly or hellish planets, as if burning in a fire of lamentation.
Although there are many remedies by which to get out of misera-
ble life, any such remedies in the material world are more misera-
ble than the miseries themselves. Therefore I think that the only
remedy is to engage in Your service. Kindly instruct me in such
service.

PURPORT

Prahlada Maharaja aspired to engage in the service of the lotus feet of
the Lord. After the death of his father, who was materially very opulent,
Prahlada would have inherited his father’s property, which extended
throughout the world, but Prahlada Maharaja was not inclined to accept
such material opulence, for whether one is in the heavenly or hellish
planets or is a rich or a poor man’s son, material conditions are every-
where. Therefore no condition of life is at all pleasing. If one wants the
uncontaminated pleasure of blissful life, he must engage himself in the
transcendental loving service of the Lord. Material opulence may be
somewhat pleasing for the time being, but to come to that temporary
pleasing condition one must work extremely hard. When a poor man is
rich he may be better situated, but to come to that position he had to ac-
cept many miseries. The fact is that in material life, whether one is
miserable or happy, both conditions are miserable. If one actually wants
