148 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 14

should not endeavor for unnecessary necessities, but should live a very
simple life, just maintaining body and soul together. Certainly one re-
quires some means of livelihood, and according to one’s varna and
asrama this means of livelihood is prescribed in the sdstras. One should
be satisfied with this. Therefore, instead of hankering for more and more
money, a sincere devotee of the Lord tries to invent some ways to earn
his livelihood, and when he does so Krsna helps him. Earning one’s
livelihood, therefore, is not a problem. The real problem is how to get
free from the bondage of birth, death and old age. Attaining this
freedom, and not inventing unnecessary necessities, is the basic principle
of Vedic civilization. One should be satisfied with whatever means of life
comes automatically. The modern materialistic civilization is just the op-
posite of the ideal civilization. Every day the so-called leaders of modern
society invent something contributing to a cumbersome way of life that
implicates people more and more in the cycle of birth, death, old age and
disease.

TEXT 6
aaa: frat gat Tae: geatsT |
4g athe Tesh arama waa: | II

jnatayah pitarau putra
bhratarah suhrdo ‘pare
yad vadanti yad icchanti

canumodeia nirmamah

jiiatayah—relatives, family members; pitarau—the father and
mother; putradh—children; bhratarah—brothers; suhrdah—friends;
apare—and others; yat—whatever; vadanti—they suggest (in regard to
one’s means of livelihood); yat—whatever; icchanti—they wish; ca—
and; anumodeta—he should agree; nirmamah—but without taking
them seriously.

TRANSLATION

An intelligent man in human society should make his own
program of activities very simple. If there are suggestions from his
