42 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 9, Ch. 18

Sri-yadur uvica
notsahe jarasa sthatum
antara praptaya tava
aviditva sukham gramyam
vaitrsnyam naiti pirusah

sri-yaduh uvica—Yadu, the eldest son to Yayati, replied; na utsahe—
I am not enthusiastic; jarasa—with your old age and invalidity;
sthatum—to remain; antard—while in youth; praéptayd—accepted;
tava—your; aviditva—without experiencing; swkham—happiness;
gramyam—material or bodily; vaitrsnyam—indifference to material en-
joyment; na—does not; eti—attain; piirusah—a person.

TRANSLATION

Yadu replied: My dear father, you have already achieved old age,
although you also were a young man. But I do not welcome your
old age and invalidity, for unless one enjoys material happiness,
one cannot attain renunciation.

PURPORT

Renunciation of material enjoyment is the ultimate goal of human
life. Therefore the varndsrama institution is most scientific. It aims at
giving one the facility to return home, back to Godhead, which one can-
not do without completely renouncing all connections with the material
world. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, niskificanasya bhagavad-
bhajanonmukhasya: one who wants to go back home, back to Godhead,
must be niskificana, free from all affinity for material enjoyment.
Brahmany upasamésrayam: unless one is fully renounced, one cannot
engage in devotional service or stay in Brahman. Devotional service is
rendered on the Brahman platform. Therefore, unless one attains the
Brahman platform, or spiritual platform, one cannot engage in devo-
tional service; or, in other words, a person engaged in devotional service
is already on the Brahman platform.

mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
