Shloka 14
Vidura’s Questions on Devotion and Sarga; Maitreya Begins the Account of Creation
ताञ्छोच्यशोच्यानविदोऽनुशोचे हरे: कथायां विमुखानघेन । क्षिणोति देवोऽनिमिषस्तु येषा- मायुर्वृथावादगतिस्मृतीनाम् ॥ १४ ॥
tāñ chocya-śocyān avido ’nuśoce hareḥ kathāyāṁ vimukhān aghena kṣiṇoti devo ’nimiṣas tu yeṣām āyur vṛthā-vāda-gati-smṛtīnām
O sage, those who, by sinful deeds, turn away from hari-kathā and thus miss the purpose of the Mahābhārata are truly pitiable; I too lament for them, seeing how unblinking Time wastes their lifespan while they drown in disputation, imagined goals, and manifold rituals.
According to the modes of material nature, there are three kinds of relationships between human beings and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those who are in the modes of ignorance and passion are averse to the existence of God, or else they formally accept the existence of God in the capacity of an order supplier. Above them are those who are in the mode of goodness. This second class of men believe the Supreme Brahman to be impersonal. They accept the cult of bhakti, in which hearing of kṛṣṇa-kathā is the first item, as a means and not the end. Above them are those who are pure devotees. They are situated in the transcendental stage above the mode of material goodness. Such persons are decidedly convinced that the name, form, fame, qualities, etc., of the Personality of Godhead are nondifferent from one another on the absolute plane. For them, hearing of the topics of Kṛṣṇa is equal to meeting with Him face to face. According to this class of men, who are situated in pure devotional service to the Lord, the highest goal of human life is puruṣārtha, devotional service to the Lord, the real mission of life. The impersonalists, because they engage in mental speculation and have no faith in the Personality of Godhead, have no business hearing the topics of Kṛṣṇa. Such persons are pitiable for the first-class pure devotees of the Lord. The pitiable impersonalists pity those who are influenced by the modes of ignorance and passion, but the pure devotees of the Lord take pity on them both because both waste their most valuable time in the human form of life in false pursuits, namely sense enjoyment and mental speculative presentations of different theories and goals of life.
FAQs
This verse says that the Lord as unblinking Time steadily consumes the lifespan of those who turn away from Hari-kathā, as they spend life in futile talk, worldly chasing, and forgetfulness.
Because their aversion is rooted in sin and ignorance, and as a result their precious human life is lost without hearing and remembering the Lord—so their remaining time is being silently taken away.
Reduce purposeless conversation and distraction, and intentionally make daily space for hearing, reading, and discussing Krishna/Hari-kathā so time is invested in remembrance rather than forgetfulness.